HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 1/10

adopted 8 May 1980 having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING A POSITION REPORTING SYSTEM FOR SHIPS IN THE BALTIC SEA AREA

THE COMMISSION,

NOTING Resolution 4 adopted by the Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, Helsinki 1974, requesting the Participating States to develop and apply a uniform radio position reporting system for larger oil tankers en route within the Baltic: Sea Area as well as for ships carrying a significant amount of certain harmful substances, which system should be co-ordinated with the radio position reporting system at present operated by the Government of Denmark in the transit, route from the Skaw t~ Gedser via Storebaelt;

RECOGNIZING the importance of a position reporting system in the Baltic Sea Area as a means of facilitating for Coastal States to take early and effective pollution combatting action, thereby furthering the aims of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention);

HAVING CONSIDERED the advice of the Interim Commission and its Maritime Working Group,

RECOMMENDS that Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention

(a) take all measures necessary for the establishment in the Baltic Sea Area of a "Baltic Sea Position Reporting System”, to be operated, on a voluntary basis, as from 1 July 1981  and in accordance with the provisions set out in the Attachment hereto, in. respect of

    (i) loaded oil tankers of 20,000 tons gross tonnage and above;

    (ii) loaded gas carriers of 1,600 tons gross tonnage and above;

    (iii) loaded chemical tankers of 1,600 tons gross tonnage and above carrying noxious liquid substances of category A or B, as defined in Annex IV to the Helsinki Convention;

(b) secure participation in the system, to the fullest extent possible, by ships of the categories mentioned in (a) above flying the flag of their respective States;

(c) take joint action within the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization (IMCO) in order to make the system known to States outside the Baltic Sea Area and to secure, by means of an appropriate IMCO Recommendation, participation in ­the system, to the fullest extent possible, by ships of the categories mentioned in (a) above flying the flag of such States;

(d) keep the system under review; with the aim of making. adjustments, as appropriate', and assessing the possi­bilities of extending the system after a trial period of two years.

ATTACHMENT

BALTIC SEA POSITION REPORTING SYSTEM

Each coastal state in the Baltic Sea Area will establish a Position Reporting Center (PRC). The PRC's will receive reports from the participating ships to enable them to inter alia to keep track of the ships of interest to them and will, retransmit reports to other relevant PRC's.

A format for the reports are shown. in Appendix 1. This format covers 4 types of reports, Sailing Plan (SP), Position Report (PR), Change Report (CR) and Final Report (FR).

The report from the ship shall be sent, via are appropriate coast radio station and ^-free of charge to the individual ship, and be addressed to the PRC mentioned in Appendix III. The following general rules shall apply:

a. A Sailing Plan (SP) shall be sent by a 'ship when passing the Straw reporting line when inward bound, when. leaving a port within the Baltic Sea Area, and when entering the Baltic Sea Area through the Kiel Canal.

The Sailing Plan skull either be addressed to SHIPPOS Aar­hus, to the PRC of the country of departure or to the FRG PRC respectively.

The PRC receiving the Sailing Plan will. then retransmit the Sailing Plan to the PRC's of the countries the coast of which the ship will pass during its voyage.

b. A Position Report (PR) shall be sent by a ship when passing the reporting lines indicated in. Appendix II.

The Position Report shall be addressed to the PRC in accordance with Appendix III.

The PRC receiving this report will retransmit it to the PRC 's of the countries the coasts of which within the same Sub-Area the ship will pass.

c. A Change Report (CR) shall be sent by the ship if its destination is changed or if the estimated time or position for passing the next reporting line or ETA vary in Sub-Area A more than 30 minutes and in the other Sub Areas more than 4 hours or 40 nautical miles from previous reported informa­tion unless the variation is caused by ice conditions.

The Change Report shall be addressed to the PRC to which the latest report has been sent.

The PRC will take appropriate action as regards retransmis­sion of information necessitated by the Change Report.

d. A Final Report (FR) shall- be sent by a ship shortly before or on arrival at its destination in the Baltic Sea Area and when leaving the Baltic Sea Area, either when passing the reporting line through the Skaw or via the Kiel Canal. The Final Report shall be addressed to the PRC of the country of destination in the Baltic Sea Area or when the ship is leaving the Baltic Sea Area to SHIPPOS Aarhus or to FRG PRC as appropriate.

ATTACHMENT

APPENDIX I

SHIP REPORTING FORMAT

XX = Always to be included

X = To be included if appropriate

Note: Intended route may be reported for instance by giving the de­signation of a certain route (e.g. ROUTE T) or on which significant offshore points will be passed (e.g. EAST OF GOTLAND).

Specimen message

BAREP

ALPHA     SIERRA PAPA

BRAVO     NONSUCH MIKE BRAVO CHARLIE DELTA

CHARLIE   ONE FOUR ONE EIGHT ZERO ZERO ZULU

ECHO      FIVE SEVEN FOUR SIX NORTH ONE ZERO FOUR THREE EAST

GOLF      ONE FIVE

HOTEL    ROUTE TANGO AND NORTH OF BORNHOLM

INDIA     GDANSK ONE SIX ONE FIVE ZERO ZERO ZULU

KILO      ONE FOUR TNO THREE FOUR FIVE ZULU

LIMA CARGO      FUEL OIL FIFTY THOUSAND TONS

LIMA DRAUGHT  ELEVEN METRES

LIMA PIL0T        PILOT EMBARKED

ATTACHMENT APPENDIX II

Radio Stations are indicated in capital letters

ATTACHMENT APPENDIX III

REPORTING ROUTINE