RESOLUTION MSC.300(87)

(adopted on 17 May 2010)

 

ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING MANDATORY SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM "IN THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR" (GIBREP)

 

 

THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,

 

RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,

 

RECALLING ALSO regulation V/11 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (SOLAS Convention), in relation to the adoption of ship reporting systems by the Organization,

 

RECALLING FURTHER resolution A.858(20) resolving that the function of adopting ship reporting systems shall be performed by the Committee on behalf of the Organization,

 

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Guidelines and criteria for ship reporting systems adopted by resolution MSC.43(64), as amended by resolutions MSC.111(73) and MSC.189(79),

 

[TAKING FURTHER INTO ACCOUNT that, in addition to the existing operational Tarifa Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), the newly established Tangier Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) had also become operational with effect from 4 January 2010,

 

HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendations of the Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation at its fifty-fifth session,

 

1.         ADOPTS, in accordance with SOLAS regulation V/11, the amendments to the existing mandatory ship reporting system "In the Strait of Gibraltar" (GIBREP), as given in the Annex;

 

2.         DECIDES that the said amendments to the existing mandatory ship reporting system "In the Strait of Gibraltar" (GIBREP) will enter into force at 0000 hours UTC on 1 December 2010;

 

3          REQUESTS the Secretary-General to bring this resolution and its Annex to the attention of the Member Governments and Contracting Governments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention.

 

 

ANNEX

 

AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING MANDATORY SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM FOR THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR

 

1          Categories of ships required to participate in the system

 

1.1       Ships of the following general categories are required to participate in the reporting system:

 

.1        all ships of 300 gross tonnage and over;

 

.2        all ships, regardless of gross tonnage, carrying hazardous and/or potentially polluting cargo, as defined in paragraph 1.4 of the Guidelines and criteria for ship reporting systems (resolution MSC.43(64));

 

.3        ships engaged in towing or pushing another vessel regardless of gross tonnage;

 

.4        any category of vessel less than 300 gross tonnage which is using the appropriate traffic lane or separation zone in order to engage in fishing; and

 

.5        any category of ships less than 300 gross tonnage which is using the appropriate traffic separation zone in an emergency in order to avoid immediate danger.

 

Exemption

 

1.2       Recognizing that regular cross-Strait ferries, including passenger high-speed craft, generally operate according to published schedules, special reporting arrangements can be made on a ship-by-ship basis, subject to the approval of both TARIFA TRAFFIC and TANGIER TRAFFIC.

 

2          Geographical coverage of the system and the number and edition of the reference chart used for the delineation of the system

 

2.1       The reporting system will cover the area (appendix) between longitudes 005°58′.00 W and 005°15′.00 W. This area includes the amended traffic separation scheme "In the Strait of Gibraltar" (IMO circular COLREG.2/Circ.58).

 

2.2       The reference charts which include all the area of coverage for the system are Spanish Hydrographic Office 105, French marine hydro graphic and oceanographic service (SHOM) No.7042 (INT 3150), and British Admiralty chart No.142.

 

3          Format, content of report, times and geographical positions for submitting reports, authority to whom reports should be sent, available services

 

The ship report short title "GIBREP" shall be made to the ship reporting centres located at TARIFA and TANGIER. Report should be made using VHF voice transmissions.

 

3.1       Format

 

3.1.1    The information requested from ships should be provided in the standard reporting format, given in paragraph 2 of the appendix to resolution A.851(20).

 

3.1.2    A ship may elect, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, to communicate that section of the GIBREP ENTRY report which provides information on cargo (line P) by no-verbal means prior to entering the system.

 

3.2       Content

 

The report from a ship to the VTS should contain only information which is essential to achieve the objectives of the system:

 

A – Name of the ship, call sign, IMO identification number;

 

B – Date and time of event;

 

C or D – Position in latitude and longitude or true bearing and distance from a clearly identified landmark;

 

E – True course;

 

F – Speed in knots;

 

G – Port of departure;

 

I – Port of destination and expected time of arrival;

 

P – Cargo and quantity and if dangerous goods are on board IMO classes and quantities;

 

Q or R – Defect, damage and/or deficiencies affecting the structure, cargo or equipment of the ship or any other circumstances affecting normal navigation, in accordance with the provisions of relevant IMO Conventions;

 

T – Address for provision of information concerning a cargo of dangerous goods;

 

W – Total number of persons on board;

 

X – Miscellaneous:

 

            – Estimated quantity of bunker fuel and characteristics for ships carrying over 5,000 tonnes bunker fuel;

 

            – Navigation conditions.

 

Note: On receipt of a position message, operators of the VTS will establish the relation between the ship's position and the information supplied by the facilities available to them. The information on heading and speed will facilitate the VTS operator's task of identifying a ship within a group.

 

3.3       Geographical position for submitting report

 

3.3.1    Westbound traffic should report to TARIFA TRAFFIC on the Spanish coast when crossing the meridian 005°15′.00 W (appendix).

 

3.3.2    Eastbound traffic should report to TANGIER TRAFFIC on the Moroccan coast when crossing the meridian 005°58′.00 W (appendix).

 

3.3.3    Reports to the nearer of the two shore stations should be made on departure from the limits of a port or anchorage within the coverage area, except vessels departing from Tangier-Med ports and its anchorage areas which should report to TANGIER TRAFFIC (appendix).

 

3.3.4    Further reports should be made to the relevant shore station whenever there is a change of navigational circumstances, particularly in relation to items Q and R of the reporting format detailed in section 3.2.

 

3.4       Authority

 

The shore-based authorities are:

 

.1        The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, MRCC TARIFA (Call sign: TARIFA TRAFFIC) under the authority of the Spanish Government Search and Rescue and Maritime safety Division. The Division, administered by the Ministry of Development, is entrusted, among other responsibilities, with providing services relating to maritime search and rescue, vessel traffic services and assistance, and prevention and control of pollution of the marine environment; and

 

.2        The Centre de Surveillance du Trafic Maritime de Tanger (CSTM Tanger, Call sign: TANGIER TRAFFIC) is under the authority of the Moroccan Merchant Marine Directorate. The Directorate, administered by the Ministry of Equipment and Transports, is entrusted, among other responsibilities, in cooperation with governmental bodies with providing services related to maritime search and rescue (SAR), vessel traffic services and assistance and prevention and control of pollution of the marine environment.

 

3.5       Services offered

 

3.5.1    Both TARIFA and TANGIER Centres monitor navigation in the TSS in the Strait of Gibraltar using radar and AIS.

 

3.5.2    Each of them provides regular information about weather and navigational condition, this information is broadcast at and on the following times and frequencies:

 

 

3.5.3    Information broadcasts will be preceded by an announcement on VHF Ch 16 and broadcasts from both stations will end with a reminder about the time of the next broadcast and the VHF frequency on which it will be made.