Port of refuge
A port of refuge (also port of refuge , English port of refuge ) is a ship berth for one in distress befindliches ship . Such a place of refuge can also be an inner body of water, an upstream roadstead or another protected anchorage. That is why the EU and the international shipping organization IMO speak of places of refuge . Distress at sea occurs if, from the point of view of the master, and exercising his due discretion, there is an insurmountable and compelling emergency with danger for the ship, cargo or people on it.
purpose
Burning or leaked ships should be brought to a safe berth as quickly as possible so that rescue measures can be carried out there. This should also reduce the risk to the marine environment.
Legal background
Different countries have so-called emergency clauses in bilateral agreements in which mutual assistance is guaranteed in the event of distress, stranding / grounding and shipwreck . However, states can refuse entry into their waters and ports of emergency with reference to the threat to their marine environment.
Both the International Maritime Organization and the European Union have drawn up guidelines and regulations for the passage of damaged ships and ships in distress. So far, these have only applied to emergencies in coastal waters. However, exactly this case met z. For example, the MSC Flaminia, which was damaged in the Atlantic in 2012 and towed into European waters, does not apply.
European port of emergency concept
After the wrecked MSC Flaminia and MT Stolt Valor were not allowed to call at places of refuge for weeks due to feared environmental damage, the EU worked with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) until 2016 to develop new operational guidelines (EU Operational Guidelines on Places of Refuge).
Germany
The port masters and the water and shipping authorities report berths to the emergency command . In consultation with the state and federal authorities, it decides on the access to a suitable berth in the event of complex damage situations based on parameters such as the type and cargo of the ship, the availability of experts, emergency plans and risk analysis. In accordance with the 2005 Law for the Implementation of the International Health Regulations, core capacities are available for infection control at the ports of the cities of Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Kiel, Rostock and Wilhelmshaven for mass patient numbers.
Web links
- Maritime emergency preparedness , Federal Ministry of Transport
- Places of Refuge , European Commission
- "Places of refuge" - addressing the problem of providing places of refuge to vessels in distress , UN International Maritime Organization (IMO)
See also
literature
- Aldo Chircop and Olof Linden (Eds.): Places of Refuge for Ships - Emerging Environmental Concerns of a Maritime Custom . BRILL 2005, ISBN 978-90-47-41764-4 .
- Inken von Gadow-Stephani: Access to ports of refuge and other places of refuge for ships in distress . Preface by Rainer Lagoni . Berlin: Springer, 2006 ISBN 978-3-540-30518-7 Diss. University of Hamburg, 2005
- Anthony P. Morrison: Places of Refuge for Ships in Distress: Problems and Methods of Resolution . Nijhoff Publishers, Leiden 2012, ISBN 978-90-04-21889-5 .
- Wenzhi Yang: A study on the legal problems related to places of refuge . World Maritime University, 2006.
- Law on the Notliegeplatzverordnung (NotLPlVbgG)
Individual evidence
- ^ Inken von Gadow-Stephani: Access to ports of refuge and other places of refuge for ships in distress. Springer 2006, ISBN 978-3-540-30518-7 , p. 62.
- ^ Inken von Gadow-Stephani: Access to ports of refuge and other places of refuge for ships in distress. P. 236.
- ^ Rescue port of Wilhelmshaven in Tagesspiegel , September 11, 2012
- ↑ Places of Refuge: An overview . Safety4Sea, June 21, 2018, accessed September 5, 2019.
- ↑ Places of Refuge - EU Operational Guidelines , safety4sea, February 2018, accessed September 7, 2019.
- ↑ What is a refuge? . Compass 2019, accessed September 12, 2019.