Tag: place of refuge

The IMO guidelines on Places of Refuge have been updated adding clarity and the necessary common framework where more than one coastal state is involved. The updated guidelines are expected to be approved at the Maritime Safety Committee and then adopted at the IMO Assembly later this year.

A recent report from SeaBlue Canada indicates that over half of Canada's marine refuges, which is a form of marine protected area in Canada, do not comply with international standards. Despite the fact that Canada has made important progress to protect its marine and coastal environment, the report notes that stronger standards are needed to sustain biodiversity.

A place of refuge is a place where a ship in need of assistance can take action to enable it to stabilize its condition and reduce the hazards to navigation, protect human life and the environment. Current practice concerning places of refuge is a concern to insurers due to the many variable factors involved, and the variety of risks.

The cooperation group on places of refuge in the European Union discussed changes to the operational guidelines and possible global implementation. The participants supported the guidelines, and emphasised that there will be no denial of refuge without inspection, and any rejection should be based on safety reasons only.

The European Commission presented the new EU operational guidelines for ships in need of assistance. Work on these guidelines started following the MSC Flaminia incident when a fire broke out on board a German-flagged vessel, which was subsequently left adrift on the high seas for weeks until Germany agreed to allow the stricken ship to enter its territorial waters.