STATEMENT BY THE SPANISH DELEGATION TO JUSTIFY THE NEED
FOR A MANDATORY SHIP REPORTING SYSTEM IN THE
GIBRALTAR TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEME AREA
1 Particulars of the navigation in the area:
- merchant vessels using the area
70,000 per year
- number of vessels in direct traffic
58,000
- number of vessels crossing between N/S coast mostly
passenger ferries 12,000 per year
- voluntary reporting vessels
35%
- rate of vessels declaring hazardous cargoes
30%
- no. of passengers crossing the Strait
2,600,000
per year
2 Particulars of the area:
- minimum width across the coasts
7.5 miles
- minimum distance between coast and traffic lanes
2.0 miles
- important ports within the area and close to the ends of the
TSS 3
- high density of local traffic within the ports of the area
(12,000
crossings)
- high density of fishing activity in the area
- adverse meteorological conditions with frequent E/Ly and W'Ly
gales. More than 54% of days of moderate to poor visibility with a 13% of days with
persistent fog conditions
- strong and variable currents in the area also affected by
predominant wind conditions
- high density of population in the coast which increases during
summer season.
3 Incidents within the area:
Although there is a low percentage of reported contravention of COLREGs
regarding rule 10, there is a high frequency of close quarters situations due to overtaken
or crossing vessels, with a special difficulty for a vessel to identify the other.
