MSC.1/Circ.1287
AMENDMENTS TO RESOLUTION A.705(17) PROMULGATION OF MARITIME SAFETY
INFORMATION
(9
December 2008)
1.
The Maritime Safety Committee, at its eighty-fifth session (26 November to 5
December 2008), adopted amendments to resolution A.705(17) Promulgation of
Maritime Safety Information. The revised text, set out at annex to this
circular, replaces the existing text of the annex to resolution A.705(17).
2.
The Committee decided that the amendments should enter into force on 1 January
2010.
Annex.
RECOMMENDATION ON THE PROMULGATION OF MARITIME SAFETY INFORMATION
1.1
The purpose of this Recommendation is to set out the organization, standards
and methods which should be used for the promulgation and reception of maritime
safety information.
1.2
The maritime safety information service of the Global Maritime Distress and
Safety System (GMDSS) is the internationally and nationally coordinated network
of broadcasts containing information which is necessary for safe navigation, received
in ships by equipment which automatically monitors the appropriate
transmissions, displays information which is relevant to the ship and provides
a print capability. This concept is illustrated in Figure 1.
1.3
Maritime safety information is of vital concern to all ships. It is therefore
essential that common standards are applied to the collection, editing and
dissemination of this information. Only by doing so will the mariner be assured
of receiving the information he needs, in a form which he understands, at the
earliest possible time.
2.1
For the purposes of this Recommendation, the following definitions apply:
.1 Coastal
warning area means a unique and precisely defined sea area within a
NAVAREA/METAREA or Sub-Area established by a coastal State for the purpose of
coordinating the broadcast of coastal maritime safety information through the
SafetyNET service.
.2 HF NBDP means
High Frequency narrow-band direct-printing, using radio telegraphy as defined
in Recommendation ITU-R M.688.
.3 International
NAVTEX service means the coordinated broadcast and automatic reception on 518
kHz of maritime safety information by means of narrow-band direct-printing
telegraphy using the English language1.
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1 as set out in the IMO NAVTEX
Manual.
.4 International
SafetyNET service means the coordinated broadcasting and automated reception of
maritime safety information via the Inmarsat Enhanced Group Call (EGC) system,
using the English language, in accordance with the provisions of the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
.5 Maritime
safety information (MSI)2 means navigational and meteorological
warnings, meteorological forecasts and other urgent safety-related messages
broadcast to ships.
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2 as defined in regulation
IV/2 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended.
.6 Maritime
safety information service means the internationally and nationally coordinated
network of broadcasts containing information which is necessary for safe
navigation.
.7 METAREA means
a geographical sea area3 established for the purpose of coordinating
the broadcast of marine meteorological information. The term METAREA followed
by a roman numeral may be used to identify a particular sea area. The delimitation
of such areas is not related to and should not prejudice the delimitation of
any boundaries between States.
______________
3 which may include inland
seas, lakes and waterways navigable by sea-going ships.
.8
Meteorological information means the marine meteorological warning and forecast
information in accordance with the provisions of the International Convention
for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
.9 National
NAVTEX service means the broadcast and automatic reception of maritime safety
information by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy using
frequencies other than 518 kHz and languages as decided by the Administration
concerned.
.10 National
SafetyNET service means the broadcasting and automated reception of maritime
safety information via the Inmarsat EGC system, using languages as decided by
the Administration concerned.
.11 NAVAREA
means a geographical sea area3 established for the purpose of
coordinating the broadcast of navigational warnings. The term NAVAREA followed by
a roman numeral may be used to identify a particular sea area. The delimitation
of such areas is not related to and should not prejudice the delimitation of
any boundaries between States.
_____________
3 which may include inland
seas, lakes and waterways navigable by sea-going ships.
.12 Navigational
warning means a message containing urgent information relevant to safe
navigation broadcast to ships in accordance with the provisions of the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
.13 NAVTEX means
the system for the broadcast and automatic reception of maritime safety
information by means of narrow-band direct-printing telegraphy.
.14 NAVTEX
service area means a unique and precisely defined sea area for which maritime
safety information is provided from a particular NAVTEX transmitter.
.15 Other urgent
safety-related information means maritime safety information broadcast to ships
that is not defined as a navigational warning, meteorological information or
SAR information. This may include, but is not limited to, significant
malfunctions or changes to maritime communications systems, and new or amended
mandatory ship reporting systems or maritime regulations affecting ships at
sea.
.16 SafetyNET
means the international service for the broadcasting and automatic reception of
maritime safety information through the Inmarsat EGC system. SafetyNET
receiving capability is part of the mandatory equipment which is required to be
carried by certain ships in accordance with the provisions of the International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended.
.17 SAR
information means distress alert relays and other urgent search and rescue
information broadcast to ships.
.18 Sub-Area
means a sub-division of a NAVAREA/METAREA in which a number of countries have
established a coordinated system for the promulgation of maritime safety
information. The delimitation of such areas is not related to and shall not
prejudice the delimitation of any boundaries between States.
.19 User defined
area means a temporary geographic area, either circular or rectangular, to
which maritime safety information is addressed.
.20 World-Wide
Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS)4 means the internationally and
nationally coordinated service for the promulgation of navigational warnings.
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4 as set out in resolution
A.706(17), as amended.
.21 In the
operating procedures coordination means that the allocation of the time for
data broadcast is centralized, the format and criteria of data transmissions
are compliant as described in the Joint IMO/IHO/WMO Manual on Maritime Safety
Information and that all services are managed as set out in resolutions
A.705(17), as amended and A.706(17), as amended.
3.1
Two principal methods are used for broadcasting maritime safety information in
accordance with the provisions of the International Convention for the Safety
of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended, in the areas covered by these methods, as
follows:
.1 NAVTEX:
broadcasts to coastal waters; and
.2 SafetyNET:
broadcasts which cover all the waters of the globe except for Sea Area A4, as
defined by resolution A.801(19), annex 3, paragraph 4, as amended.
3.2
Information shall be provided for unique and precisely defined sea areas, each
being served only by the most appropriate of the above systems. Although there
will be some duplication to allow a ship to change from one system to another,
the majority of messages will only be broadcast on one system.
3.3
NAVTEX broadcasts shall be made in accordance with the standards and procedures
set out in the NAVTEX Manual.
3.4
SafetyNET broadcasts shall be made in accordance with the standards and
procedures set out in the International SafetyNET Manual.
3.5
HF NBDP may be used to promulgate maritime safety information in areas outside
Inmarsat coverage (SOLAS regulation IV/7.1.5).
3.6
In addition, Administrations may also provide maritime safety information by
other means.
4.1
Ships are required to be capable of receiving maritime safety information
broadcasts for the area in which they operate in accordance with the provisions
of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as
amended.
4.2
The NAVTEX receiver should operate in accordance with the technical
specifications set out in Recommendation ITU-R M.540-2, as amended, and should
meet the performance standards adopted by the Organization by resolution
MSC.148(77), as amended.
4.3
The SafetyNET receiver should conform to the Maritime Design and Installation
Guidelines (DIGs) published by Inmarsat, and should meet the performance
standards adopted by the Organization by resolution A.664(16).
4.4
In sea area A4, outside of the coverage of NAVTEX, where MSI is received using
HF NBDP, the HF NBDP receiver should operate in accordance with the technical
specifications set out in Recommendation ITU-R M.688, as amended, and should
meet the performance standards adopted by the Organization by resolution
A.700(17), as amended.
5.1
Navigational warnings shall be provided in accordance with the standards,
organization and procedures of the WWNWS under the functional guidance of the
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) through its Commission on the
Promulgation of Radio Navigational Warnings (CPRNW).
5.2
Meteorological information shall be provided in accordance with the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) technical regulations and recommendations,
monitored and reviewed by the Expert Team on Maritime Safety Services of the
Joint WMO/IOC5 Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology
(JCOMM).
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5 IOC is the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
5.3
SAR information shall be provided by the various authorities responsible for
coordinating maritime search and rescue operations in accordance with the
standards and procedures established by the Organization.
5.4
Other urgent safety-related information shall be provided by the relevant
national or international authority responsible for managing the system or
scheme.
5.5
Relevant national or international authorities shall take into account the need
for contingency planning.