(July 3 2008) The years of debate about the mandatory carriage of ECDIS (electronic chart display information systems) seem to be close to a conclusion, with reports from IMO’s NAV54 subcommittee meetings suggesting that members have reached a consensus in favour of making the technology a required fit for ocean going vessels.
While confirmation of this decision has not been given by IMO at this time, it appears that the decision has been reached, and the further necessary steps to add this requirement to IMO’s Safety Of Life At Sea (SOLAS) convention are now being mapped out.
2012 has been mentioned as a possible implementation date, but this is still subject to confirmation and would most like vary to a significant degree for different classes of vessels.
Any decisions taken at NAV54 would also have to be further ratified by IMO’s MSC (Maritime Safety Committee) at its 85th session later this year, but it seems likely that approval would be granted and that mandatory ECDIS would become a reality on future vessel bridges.
Such a step has been a while coming for some members of the NAV subcommittee. Last year’s NAV53 also considered the topic of mandatory ECDIS, and featured an in-depth study by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) outlining some of the safety benefits that could result from using the technology.
The recommendation from that study, that a carriage requirement be introduced, was supported by Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and supplemented by a further proposal by Japan calling for the mandatory carriage of ECDIS on certain vessel classes.
These proposals were rejected however, and the consideration of mandatory ECDIS postponed until this year’s NAV54. It would seem that the arguments of these delegates have now proven convincing enough for the subcommittee to accept such a move this time around, and that ECDIS will become a standard feature in future vessels.
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