The Great Barrier Reef: Review of Safety Initiatives
- The
Great Barrier Reef: Review of Safety Initiatives [
PDF: 119KB]
The following introduction is an extract from the document linked above:
Background
One of the prerogatives of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
is the ability to designate Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA). Such
a designation is a tool towards enhancing the safety and environmental protection
of areas deemed to possess unique natural characteristics, and so deserving
protection above that provided through the application of the standard IMO
conventions.
In 1990, the IMO declared the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) a PSSA, following
a comprehensive submission from the Australian Government. The concept of
PSSA provides a broader range of options available to the coastal state
for the taking of special protective measures. Given the PSSA designation
of the GBR, it is understandable that a number of the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority's (AMSA's) safety/environmental protection initiatives
have a focus on reef safety. Two of these initiatives include:
· The establishment and operation of the Ship Reporting System (SRS);
and
· The safety licensing of coast pilots
last updated: November 2003