THE MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE,RECALLING Article 28(b) of the Convention on the
International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Committee,
RECALLING ALSO that regulation 12.3, chapter IV of the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, as amended in
1988, requires that until 1 February 1999 or until such other date as may be determined
by the Maritime Safety Committee, every ship while at sea shall maintain, when
practicable, a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16,
RECALLING FURTHER MSC/Circ.803 on Participation of non-SOLAS ships in
the Global Maritime Safety and Distress System (GMDSS),
FURTHER RECALLING that the Maritime Safety Committee, at its sixty-ninth
session in May 1998, adopted resolution MSC.77(69) on maintenance of a continuous
listening watch on VHF channel 16 by SOLAS ships extended the watch requirement until 1
February 2005, taking into account the large number of non-convention vessels yet to be
fitted with VHF DSC facilities still using VHF channel 16 for distress and safety
purposes,
NOTING that a large number of vessels to
which the SOLAS Convention does not apply had not fitted GMDSS equipment by 1 February
1999 and, if watchkeeping was discontinued on VHF channel 16 by SOLAS Convention ships,
such non-Convention vessels would, if in distress, be unable to alert Global Maritime
Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)-fitted ships,
NOTING ALSO the time needed for the large number of non-Convention ships being
required to carry a radio installation under national legislation, to be fitted with a
VHF installation which includes DSC facilities, and to provide adequate GMDSS training
for the large number of personnel required to operate the radio equipment of
non-Convention ships,
NOTING FURTHER the many parts
of the world, not covered by VHF coast stations, where distress alerts can only be
received by ships in the vicinity of those in distress,
RECOGNIZING despite the best efforts of member states to encourage
seagoing vessels being voluntarily fitted with VHF radio equipment to be fitted also
with facilities for transmitting and receiving distress alerts by DSC on VHF channel 70,
that there are many areas of the world where this has not occurred, and will not likely
occur by 1 February 2005, and that nonconvention vessels are likely to continue to use
non-DSC VHF equipment as long as it is serviceable, available, and permitted by national
legislation,
RECOGNIZING ALSO that there will be a
need for an open .short distance frequency. where ships can reach each other for
immediate voice inter-ship calling for distress, urgency and safety communications until
digital selective calling (DSC) on VHF channel 70 becomes a capability commonly used by
both Convention and non-convention ships,
RECOGNIZING FURTHER the capability of GMDSS-fitted ships to simultaneously maintain
continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16 and for digital selective calling (DSC) on
VHF channel 70,
BEING OF THE OPINION that, for the
time being, safety of life at sea would best be served by retaining watchkeeping for
GMDSS-fitted ships on VHF channel 16 so that all ships can establish and conduct
communications with each other for distress, urgency, safety and general calling,
COGNIZANT that the Maritime Safety Committee has
decided that, at the earliest opportunity, VHF digital selective calling on VHF channel
70 will be used universally for initial distress, urgency and safety alerting, using VHF
channel 16 as the complimentary radiotelephony channel following the initial alert,
HAVING CONSIDERED, at its seventy-fifth session, the
recommendation made by the Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue at
its sixth session, with respect to the continuation of listening watch by GMDSS-fitted
ships,
1. DETERMINES, having regard to SOLAS
regulation IV/12.3, that every ship, while at sea, shall continue to maintain, when
practicable, continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16, until such time as the
Maritime Safety Committee may determine the cessation of this requirement, provided that
a re-assessment is undertaken by the Organization no later than 2005;
2. URGES Governments to:
- .1 require all new VHF radio equipment manufactured for, or
installed on or after 1 February 1999 on, seagoing vessels to which the 1974 SOLAS
Convention does not apply to be fitted with facilities capable of transmitting and
receiving distress alerts by DSC on VHF channel 70;
- .2 require all seagoing vessels to which the 1974
SOLAS Convention does not apply, but which are required to carry a radio
installation under national legislation, to be fitted with a radio installation
which includes facilities for transmitting and receiving distress alerts by DSC on
VHF channel 70 no later than 1 February 2005;
- .3 encourage seagoing vessels being voluntarily fitted with VHF
radio equipment to be fitted also with facilities for transmitting and receiving
distress alerts by DSC on VHF channel 70 no later than 1 February 2005;
- .4 require all vessels being
fitted with facilities in accordance with subparagraphs .1 to .3 above, to maintain,
when practicable, a continuous listening watch on VHF channel 16 until such time as
the Maritime Safety Committee may determine the cessation of this requirement,
taking into account that a re-assessment will be undertaken by the Organization no
later than 2005; and to require personnel operating such equipment to be adequately
trained, taking into account ITU Resolution 343 (WRC-97);
- .5 advise the Organization no later than 2005 on
progress in establishing VHF DSC capability ashore and at sea to allow the Maritime
Safety Committee to make appropriate decisions; and
- .6 support the IMO position, as prescribed in the
present resolution, at the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2003; 3. INVITES Governments to bring this
decision to the attention of all seafarers, fishing vessel personnel, shipowners,
ship operators, the off-shore industries, radio equipment manufacturers, coast
stations and all others involved or who may be involved in search and rescue
operations at sea; 4. INVITES FURTHER the
Secretary-General to bring this resolution to the attention of the Secretary-General
of the International Telecommunication Union. 5. REVOKES resolution MSC.77(69).