The IMO NCSR Sub-Committee approved the Danish Maritime Authority’s proposal for new ships’ routeing measures, and opened the way for new routes in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat and aims to enhance safety of navigation.
About 7,000 ships sail through Kattegat each year, the majority of which are deep-draught ships heading for or coming from the Baltic Sea. Consequently, there is a need to extend existing ships’ routes, to keep the traffic separate in accordance with the largest water depths.
Therefore, the Danish Maritime Authority, in cooperation with the Swedish Transport Agency and the agencies responsible for nautical charts in both countries, have developed proposals for new ships’ routeing measures in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat.
Now, the ships’ routeing measures are to be approved by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee this May with a view to be launched in July 2020.
The new ships’ routeing measures consist of the following:
- Two recommended routes between Hanstholm and the Skaw, referred to as Route A and Route B.
- A traffic separation system at the Skaw.
- Deep-water routes between Læsø and Anholt and east of Grenå.
- A new precautionary area north-east of Læsø.
- A new Route S along the Swedish coast.
- Three new traffic separation systems along Route S. One of them in the northern part of the Sound.
