THE ASSEMBLY,RECALLING Article 15(j) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization
concerning the functions of the Assembly in relation to regulations and guidelines concerning
maritime safety and the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships,
HAVING CONSIDERED articles 60 and 80 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea, 1982,
NOTING article 5 of the Geneva Convention on the Continental Shelf, 1958,
RECOGNIZING the need for ensuring unencumbered exploitation of natural resources on the
continental shelf and in the exclusive economic zone, as well as safety at sea,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER that the congestion of navigable waters by offshore installations or
structures could result in ships colliding with such installations or structures thereby causing loss of
life, pollution of the marine environment and economic loss,
RECALLING requirements for ships to maintain a continuous listening watch on VHF channel
16 prescribed by regulation IV/8 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974
(the 1974 SOLAS Convention), as amended,
RECALLING ALSO requirements for ships to carry adequate and up-to-date charts, notices to
mariners and other nautical publications prescribed by regulation V/20 of the 1974 SOLAS
Convention,
RECALLING FURTHER:
(a) resolution A.572(14) on general provisions on ships' routeing, and
(b) resolution A.578(14) on guidelines for vessel traffic services,
BEING INFORMED of infringements by vessels, in particular fishing vessels, of safety zones
around offshore installations or structures.
BEING CONCERNED about the safety of personnel and the risk of serious damage to offshore
installations or structures, vessels and the environment in the event of a collision,
BEING FURTHER INFORMED that:
(a) some flag States do not consistently take action, in accordance with resolution A.379(X),
when complaints of infringements of safety zones around offshore installations or
structures by their vessels are received,
(b) on occasion, vessels do not respond to radiotelephone calls initiated by offshore
installations or structures and that near misses and collisions could have been avoided if
vessels maintained a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16,
(c) vessels identified as having infringed safety zones around offshore installations or
structures have, on occasion, been found not to be carrying adequate and up-to-date
charts of the area, in violation of regulation V/20 of the 1974 SOLAS Convention,
BEING ALSO INFORMED that not all offshore installations or structures are adequately
equipped with devices that would help prevent vessels infringing the safety zones established
around them, including lights and sound signals, racons and means for permanent visual look-out
and radar watch, and that not ail of them listen for and warn vessels on appropriate VHF channels,
BEING AWARE that safety zone regulations are applied by coastal States to protect mobile
offshore drilling units* on station, production platforms, artificial islands, accommodation
platforms, units and ancillary equipment referred to herein as installations or structures,
BEING ALSO AWARE of the value of accurate and prompt information concerning the
existence and location of offshore installations and structures,
DESIRING to bring an end to the infringement of safety zones established around offshore
installations or structures,
HAVING CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Maritime Safety Committee, at its
fifty-fourth session, that it would be advantageous to consolidate resolutions:
- - A.341(IX) - Recommendation on dissemination of information, charting and manning
of drilling rigs, production platforms and other similar structures,
- - A.379(X) - Establishment of safety zones and fairways or routeing systems in
offshore exploration areas, and
- - A.621(15) - Measures to prevent infringement of safety zones around offshore
installations or structures,
HAVING ALSO CONSIDERED the recommendation made by the Maritime Safety Committee
at its fifty-seventh session,
1. RECOMMENDS that Governments:
(a) study the pattern of shipping traffic through offshore resource exploration areas at an
early stage so as to be able to assess potential interference with marine traffic passing
close to or through such areas at all stages of exploitation;
(b) ensure that the exploitation of natural resources on the continental shelf and in the
exclusive economic zone does not seriously obstruct sea approaches and shipping routes;
(c) where traffic patterns warrant it, consider, as appropriate, the establishment of safety
zones around offshore installations or structures, or the establishment and charting of
fairways or routeing systems through exploration areas;
(d) take all necessary steps to ensure that, unless specifically authorized, ships flying their
flags do not enter or pass through duly established safety zones;
(e) ensure that the prohibition on vessels, other than those involved in rendering services
related to the operation of the offshore installation or structure, should not apply to
vessels entering or remaining in the safety zone:
(i) when in distress;
(ii) for the purpose of saving or attempting to save life or property; or property; or
(iii) in cases of force majeure;
(f) draw the attention of seafarers to the need, in the cases referred to in paragraph (e)
above, to make early radio contact with the offshore installations or structures,
associated vessel traffic services and other vessels in the area;
2. RECOMMENDS FURTHER that flag States should, if necessary, take appropriate measures to
ensure that suitable procedures exist to take action against the owner, master or any person
responsible at the material time for the conduct of any vessel flying their flag which commits an
infringement against any duly established safety zone, and that they inform the coastal State
concerned of the follow-up action taken;
3. ADOPTS the Recommendation on Safety Zones and Safety of Navigation around Offshore
Installations and Structures which is set out in the Annex to the present resolution;
4. REQUESTS the Maritime Safety Committee, in consultation with the Legal Committee, to keep
the present resolution under review and to report to the Assembly as necessary;
5. REVOKES resolutions A.341(IX), A.379(X) and A.621(15).
* For the purpose of this resolution mobile offshore drilling units (MODUs) used for exploratory drilling operations
offshore are considered to be vessels when they are in transit and not engaged in a drilling operation. but are
considered to be installations or structures when engaged in a drilling operation.