Russia in Charge of Maritime Safety in Black Sea

Russia has reassured the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that all obligations concerning maritime safety and that of shipping are being enforced in the Black Sea.

“The Russian Federation has taken up the actual compliance with the measures aimed at ensuring continuous international shipping in the Black Sea, in the sea areas off the coast of Crimea and in the sea ports of the Crimea peninsula, including navigation safety measures and protection of the marine environment against pollution,” The Mission of the Russian Federation said in a letter to the IMO.

The letter added that Ukraine is not currently carrying out activities in the region as provided for in the relevant international instruments on international shipping.

“A complex system is operating in the Russian Federation to ensure maritime safety and marine environment pollution protection including: vessel traffic services (VTS), port state control of ships, Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), ship reporting systems, vessel traffic control, pilotage, shore automatic identification systems, long-range identification and tracking systems (LRIT), navigational and hydrographic navigational support, etc.

Information on the navigational and weather conditions in sea ports and approaches thereto is transmitted to seafarers by means of communication as provided for in the relevant international instruments, ” the letter read.

On the other hand, Ukraine announced its intention to close the ports located on the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea for international shipping.

The decision on closing relates to the ports Evpatoria, Kerch, Feodosia, Yalta and Sevastopol.

Transport and navigation in this area has been attributed with a “high level of risk” by the Ukrainian port authorities that claimed they could not vouch for navigational safety in waters around Crimean ports.

World Maritime News Staff