1.1 Ship reporting systems and reporting requirements
are used to provide, gather or exchange information through radio
reports. The information is used to provide data for many purposes
including search and rescue, vessel traffic services, weather forecasting
and prevention of marine pollution. Ship reporting systems and reporting
requirements should, as far as practicable, comply with the following
principles:
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.1 reports should contain only information essential
to achieve the objectives of the system;
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.2 reports should be simple and use the standard
international ship reporting format and procedures; where language
difficulties may exist, the languages used should include English,
using where possible the Standard Marine Navigational Vocabulary,
or alternatively the International Code of Signals. The standard reporting
format and procedures to be used are given in the appendix to this Annex;
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.3 the number of reports should be kept to a minimum;
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.4 no charge should be made for communication
of reports;
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.5 safety or pollution related reports should
be made without delay; however, the time and place of making non-urgent
reports should be sufficiently flexible to avoid interference with
essential navigational duties;
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.6 information obtained from the system should
be made available to other systems when required for distress, safety
and pollution purposes;
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.7 basic information (ship's particulars, on-board
facilities and equipment, etc.) should be reported once, be retained
in the system and be updated by the ship when changes occur in the
basic information reported;
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.8 the purpose of the system should be clearly
defined;
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.9 Governments establishing a ship reporting system
should notify mariners of full details of the requirements to be met
and procedures to be followed. Details of types of ships and areas
of applicability, of times and geographical positions for submitting
reports of shore establishments responsible for operation of the system
and of the services provided should be clearly specified. Chartlets
depicting boundaries of the system and providing other necessary information
should be made available to mariners;
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.10 the establishment and operation of a ship
reporting system should take into account:
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.10.1 international as well as national responsibilities
and requirements;
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.10.2 the cost to ship operators and responsible
authorities;
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.10.3 navigational hazards;
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.10.4 existing and proposed aids to safety; and
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.10.5 the need for early and continuing consultation
with interested parties including a sufficient period to allow for
trial, familiarization and assessment to ensure satisfactory operation
and to allow necessary changes to be made to the system;
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.11 Governments should ensure that shore establishments
responsible for operation of the system are manned by properly trained
persons;
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.12 Governments should consider the interrelationship
between ship reporting systems and other systems;
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.13 ship reporting systems should preferably use
a single operating radio frequency; where additional frequencies are
necessary, the number of frequencies should be restricted to the minimum
required for the effective operation of the system;
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.14 information provided by the system to ships
should be restricted to that necessary for the proper operation of
the system and for safety;
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.15 ship reporting systems and requirements should
provide for special reports from ships concerning defects or deficiencies
with respect to their hull, machinery, equipment or manning, or concerning
other limitations which could adversely affect navigation and for
special reports concerning incidents of actual or probable marine
pollution;
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.16 Governments should issue instructions to their
shore establishments responsible for the operation of ship reporting
systems to ensure that any reports involving pollution, actual or
probable, are relayed without delay to the officer or agency nominated
to receive and process such reports, and to ensure that such an officer
or agency relays these reports without delay to the flag State of
the ship involved and to any other State which may be affected;
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.17 States which are affected or likely to be
affected by pollution incidents and may require information relevant
to the incident should take into account the circumstances in which
the master is placed, and should endeavour to limit their requests
for additional information; and
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.18 the appendix to
this Annex does not apply to danger messages referred to under Regulation V/2 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention,
as amended. The present practice of transmitting such messages should
remain unchanged.
2
Guidelines for Reporting
Incidents Involving Dangerous Goods
2.1 The intent of these Guidelines and those contained
in the appendix is to enable
coastal States and other interested parties to be informed without
delay when any incident occurs involving the loss, or likely loss,
overboard of packaged dangerous goods into the sea.
2.2 Reports should be transmitted to the nearest
coastal State. When the ship is within or near an area for which a
ship reporting system has been established, reports should be transmitted
to the designated shore station of that system.
3
Guidelines for Reporting
Incidents Involving Harmful Substances and/or Marine Pollutants
3.1 The intent of these Guidelines and those contained
in the appendix is to enable
coastal States and other interested parties to be informed without
delay of any incident giving rise to pollution, or threat of pollution,
of the marine environment, as well as of assistance and salvage measures,
so that appropriate action may be taken.
3.2 In accordance with article V(1) of Protocol
I of MARPOL 73/78, a report shall be made to the nearest coastal State.
3.3 Whenever a ship is engaged in or requested
to engage in an operation to render assistance to or undertake salvage
of a ship involved in an incident referred to in 1(a) or (b) of article
II of Protocol I of MARPOL 73/78, as amended, the master of the former
ship should report, without delay, the particulars of the action undertaken
or planned. The coastal States should also be kept informed of developments.
3.4 The probability of a discharge resulting from
damage to the ship or its equipment is a reason for making a report.