As the Britannia P&I Club informed, the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation are introducing a new regulation which comes into effect on 20 August 2019 requiring that all Indonesian and foreign-flagged ships sailing in Indonesian waters install and activate Automatic Identification System (AIS).
Operators are strongly advised to comply with the new regulation from the Indonesian Authorities and if they require further information they should contact their local agents or correspondents.
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With respect to the recent surge in sanctions globally, Mrs. Irene Anastassiou, Senior Lawyer at the Gard P&I Club, noted that the practice of turning off the AIS to avoid detection is a breach of SOLAS and Flag State requirements, while it increases the risk of maritime casualties and loss of life.
Turning off the AIS to avoid detection is having the opposite effect when it comes to authorities monitoring vessels in areas covered by sanctions.
The Automated Identification System (AIS) was developed to counter the safety limitations of visual/VHF/Radar that were traditionally relied on for safe navigation in busy waterways. Regulation 19 of SOLAS Chapter V requires AIS is to be fitted on all ships of 300 gross tonnes and upwards engaged in international service, cargo ships of 500 gross tonnes and upwards not engaged on international voyages, and all passenger ships irrespective of size. Because vessels with AIS can ‘see’ each other’s course and speed in real time, AIS is a critical collision avoidance tool.
