The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) decision to
introduce a carriage requirement for Electronic Chart Display and
Information Systems (ECDIS) beginning in 2012 will promote
efficient voyage planning and safer conduct of navigation,
according to UK National Hydrographer and Deputy Chief Executive of
the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office, Rear Admiral Ian
Moncrieff.
In a statement following the recent meeting (December 2008) of
the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) where this amendment
to SOLAS Chapter V was formally adopted , Admiral Moncrieff said
that elements supporting this milestone decision include the
comprehensive DNV report of 2007 on the risk reduction benefits of
ECDIS and the IHO commitment by all its member states to deliver
adequate global ENC coverage by 2010. Both these elements were
recognised by the IMO at NAV54 last year and the MSC has now
endorsed their recommendation to introduce a carriage requirement
and adopted the necessary changes to the SOLAS regulations.
"Importantly, the maritime community now has certainty over
timescales for implementation and any ambiguities between what is
official and unofficial data, and can or can't be used to fulfil
the SOLAS carriage requirement for charts and publications, will
now be cleared up. The IHO is in the process of adopting a useful
reference document (to be published as S-66).
