MSC.1/Circ.1293
PARTICIPATION IN THE WMO VOLUNTARY OBSERVING SHIPS' (VOS) SCHEME
(10
December 2008)
1.
The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), at its sixty-fourth session (5 to 9
December 1994), in response to a request for assistance from the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) on enhancing the recruitment of merchant ships into the
Voluntary Observing Ships' (VOS) Scheme, approved and circulated MSC/Circ.674
regarding this matter. Since the merger in 1999 of the marine activities of the
WMO and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO, the VOS
Scheme has been a programme of the Joint WMO/IOC Technical Commission for
Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM).
2.
The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-fourth session (30 May to 8 June
2001), in response to a further proposal from the WMO, subsequently updated and
re-issued this circular as MSC/Circ.1017. It was noted at the time that the
Report of the Re-opened Formal Investigation into the Loss of the MV Derbyshire
had underlined the potential value of VOS observations to maritime safety, and
recommended, inter alia, that consideration be given to reissuing this MSC
circular.
3.
Unfortunately, there has been further decline in the number of ships recruited
into the VOS Scheme, regardless of the re-issuance of this circular. In
December 2004, there were approximately 6,500 ships listed with the WMO as
observing ships from 53 participating countries. By mid-2005, this figure had
fallen to fewer than 6,000 ships; however, the analysis of ships' weather
reports show that the number of VOS that are actively reporting is actually far
less than indicated. Based on reports, during the first six months of 2005,
there were approximately 3,025 ships worldwide reporting pressure, and only
2,652 reporting sea surface temperature.
4.
The VOS meteorological reports provide vital real time feedback on ocean
weather conditions to Weather Forecasters who use the data to improve the
quality of the forecasts and warnings issued through the SafetyNET Maritime
Safety Information (MSI) and the international NAVTEX services for mariners at
sea. The VOS reports, therefore, form an important element in ensuring the
safety of ships, their cargoes and crews. Furthermore, it should be noted that
these reports also provide a valuable data source for studying the changes in
climate which have become a matter of global concern in recent years.
5.
IMO and, in particular, its Marine Environment Protection Committee are giving
high priority to the work relating to the issue of climate change. Ships'
meteorological observations are not only recognized as being essential for the
provision of safety-related services for ships at sea, but also for
climatological purposes, since the VOS reports' contribution to global climate
studies is unique, when considering the role of the oceans in the global
climate system.
6.
Whilst the weather data collected under the VOS Scheme is provided for
Forecasting, Climatology and Research applications, some VOS data have become
available on public websites causing concern to ships' owners and masters
because of the publication of ship identification and position data. WMO has
therefore established a high-level dialogue, involving affected Members, IMO,
ICS, shipping companies, relevant organizations and technical commissions, to
propose a general and universally acceptable solution to the issue. This
solution would address shipowners' and masters' concerns as well as those of
the WMO community regarding data monitoring and quality information feedback
requirements. This high-level dialogue resulted in the recommendation that
ship's identification and location should not appear on public websites,
including those of National Meteorological Services (NMS), in real time when
this is not authorized by the shipowners and masters. As a temporary measure,
WMO Executive Council therefore adopted Resolution 7 (EC-LVIII, 2006) and
Resolution 7.7 (EC-LIX, 2007) authorizing its Members to implement open data
distribution schemes where the ship's identification is masked. The continued
participation of ships in the VOS Scheme remains critical.
7.
It is essential that the volume of data provided by ships recruited to the VOS
Scheme be maximized and, as such, the number of VOS participating in the Scheme
increased wherever/whenever possible. It should be made clear that
participation in the VOS Scheme is entirely voluntary and no charges are
incurred by the ship, shipowner or ship operator, as the meteorological
instruments and, in most cases, the cost of the observation transmission are
borne by meteorological services.
8.
In accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation V/5, Member Governments
are invited to bring the relevant information in the attached brochure
regarding the VOS Scheme to the attention of shipowners, ship operators, ship
managers, masters and crews, and other parties concerned and to encourage them
to support the JCOMM and their National Meteorological Service (NMS), by
offering their ships to participate in the VOS Scheme. More information on this
issue can be located at the following web address:
http://www.bom.gov.au/jcomm/vos/index.html. Ships that pass through or operate
in the data-sparse areas (shown by the lack of dots on the attached ship data
coverage chart), are strongly encouraged to volunteer and join the VOS Scheme.
9.
This circular revokes MSC/Circ.1017.
Annex.
THE VOLUNTARY OBSERVING SHIPS' (VOS) SCHEME
The
international scheme by which ships plying the various oceans and seas of the
world are recruited by National Meteorological Services (NMS) for taking and
transmitting meteorological observations is called the Voluntary Observing
Ships' (VOS) Scheme. (See the following web address for further information:
http://www.bom.gov.au/jcomm/vos/index.html).
The
VOS Scheme is operated under the auspices of the Joint WMO/IOC Technical
Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM), which was formed in
1999 through a merger of the marine activities of the World Meteorological
Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of
UNESCO.
The
forerunner of the scheme dates back as far as 1853, the year in which delegates
of ten maritime countries came together at a conference in Brussels, on the
initiative of Matthew F. Maury, then Director of the United States Navy
Hydrographic Office, to discuss his proposal to establish a uniformed system
for collecting meteorological and oceanographic data from the oceans and the
use of these data for the benefit of shipping in return.
The
Conference accepted Maury's proposal and adopted a standard form of ships' logs
and a set of standard instructions for the required observations.
From
the very beginning, ships' meteorological observations were recognized as being
essential for the provision of safety-related meteorological services for ships
at sea, as well as for climatological purposes.
At
present, the contribution that VOS meteorological reports make to operational
meteorology, to marine meteorological services, weather routeing services and
to global climate studies is unique and irreplaceable. During the past few
decades, the increasing recognition of the role of the oceans in the global
climate system has placed an even greater emphasis on the importance of marine
meteorological and oceanographical observing systems.
One
of the continuing major problems facing meteorology is the scarcity of data
from vast areas of the world's oceans (so-called data sparse areas) in support
of basic weather forecasting, the provision of marine meteorological and
oceanographic services and climate analysis and research.
While
meteorological satellites help substantially to overcome these problems, data
from more conventional platforms (in particular VOS data) will remain essential
for the foreseeable future, to provide ground-truthing for the satellite
observations, and to provide important information that satellites cannot
easily observe (notably pressure measurements). In addition, the VOS provide an
essential contribution to the data input for the numerical weather prediction
(NWP) models, which are the basis of most present-day forecasts and warnings,
and provide real-time reports which can be used immediately in services for the
mariner. The reports from the ships at sea are also used operationally in the
preparation and promulgation of Maritime Safety Information (MSI) forecasts and
warnings of gales, as well as storms required by the GMDSS (e.g., SafetyNET and
NAVTEX), and issued to mariners in accordance with the SOLAS Convention
requirements.
Thus,
without VOS observations, reliable and timely weather forecasts for mariners
could not be provided.
A
peak in the total number of VOS was reached in 1984/85, when 7,700 ships
worldwide were listed as participating in the VOS Scheme. Since then, there has
been an irregular but noticeable decline. In December 2004, there were some
6,500 ships listed at WMO as observing ships from 53 countries and by mid-2005
there were fewer than 6,000 ships. However, analysis of ships' weather reports
show that the number of VOS that are actively reporting is actually far less.
Based on the first six months of 2005, there were approximately 3,025 ships
worldwide reporting pressure, and only 2,652 reporting sea surface temperature.
It is recognized that priority must often be given to other navigational
duties, particularly in areas of dense shipping, and that there will be periods
when a ship is in port or dry-dock and when it will not be possible to perform
weather observations. However, the number of actively participating ships is
clearly in a decline and needs to be reversed.
As
might be expected, real-time reports from the VOS are heavily concentrated
along the major shipping routes, primarily in the North Atlantic and North
Pacific Oceans. The attached chart shows details of the geographical
distribution of ships weather reports for December 2006, and the most striking
feature is the large data-void areas in all southern hemisphere oceans. While
this situation certainly reflects the relatively small numbers of ships sailing
in these waters, it also makes it more essential that ships sailing in these
areas actively participate in the VOS, thus contributing to the global
observing programme and the consequent enhancement of the forecast and warning
services to the mariner.
Of
course, as the VOS reports are part of a global data capture programme, these
reports are of value from all the oceans and seas of the world, and even the
relatively well-frequented North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans require more
observational data.
4. What are the
charges to be part of the VOS Scheme?
THERE ARE NO CHARGES TO THE
SHIP OR TO THE SHIP OPERATOR
In
accordance with the provisions of SOLAS regulation V/5, "Contracting Governments
undertake to encourage the collection of meteorological data by ships at sea
and to arrange for a selection of ships to be equipped with tested marine
meteorological instruments (such as a barometer, a barograph, a psychrometer,
and suitable apparatus for measuring sea temperature)".
The
calibrated marine meteorological instruments that are required to undertake
weather observing at sea are supplied free of charge to the ship by the
National Meteorological Services (NMS). The installation of the equipment is
usually performed by a Port Meteorological Officer (PMO), appointed and trained
by the NMS, who will provide advice on observing the various meteorological
elements at sea. The appointed PMO will also explain the use of the WMO SHIP
code for reporting the observation, and offer guidance on transmitting the
observations from the ship to shore using the ships satellite or terrestrial
communications equipment.
THERE ARE NO CHARGES TO THE
SHIP FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF VOS WEATHER REPORTS
Ships
which send messages through Land Earth Stations (LESs) using