FOM-3.5	Fleet Operations Manual Navigation Hazardous Areas	Doc No.: FOM-3.5 Revision: 01 Date: 15 Oct 2024 Issued by: DPA Approved by: MD

1. PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE SEA AREAS (PSSAs)

A PSSA is an area within defined limits where navigation is particularly hazardous or it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties. These areas should be avoided by all ships or specific classes of ships.

When an area is approved as a PSSA, specific measures can be used to control maritime activities, such as:

• Routing measures
• Strict application of MARPOL discharge and equipment requirements (e.g., oil tankers)
• Installation of Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)

Designated PSSAs include:

• The Great Barrier Reef, Australia (1990)
• Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, Cuba (1997)
• Malpelo Island, Colombia (2002)
• Sea around the Florida Keys, United States (2002)
• Wadden Sea, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands (2002)
• Paracas National Reserve, Peru (2003)
• Western European Waters (2004)
• Extension of the Great Barrier Reef PSSA to include the Torres Strait (2005)
• Canary Islands, Spain (2005)
• Galapagos Archipelago, Ecuador (2005)
• Baltic Sea area, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden (2005)
• Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, United States (2007)
• Strait of Bonifacio, France and Italy (2011)
• Saba Bank, Kingdom of Netherlands (2012)
• Extension of Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait (2015)
• Jomard Entrance, Papua New Guinea (2016)
• Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Philippines (2017)

2. NAVIGATIONAL HAZARDOUS AREAS

These are areas where geographical conditions and inherent hazards require extra caution by the ship’s staff. Mariners must exercise heightened vigilance due to the increased risk of navigational incidents.

Identified Navigational Hazardous Areas:

• Singapore and Malacca Straits (Main hazards: b, e, g, f)
• Japan Inland Sea and Kanmon Straits (Main hazards: b, e, f)
• English Channel / Dover’s Strait / North Sea / NW Europe / Baltic Sea (Main hazards: a, b, e, f)
• Great Barrier Reefs, Torres Strait (Main hazards: a, e, f)
• Magellan Passage (Main hazards: a, d, e)
• Gulf of Aden / Red Sea including Bab Al Mandeb (Main hazards: a, b, e, g)
• Turkish Straits (Dardanelles & Bosporus) and Black Sea Approaches (Main hazards: a, b, e, f)
• Taiwan Straits (Main hazards: b, e, f)
• African Ports (Main hazards: a, c, d, e, g)
• Amazon River (Main hazards: c, d, e)
• Hugli River (Main hazards: c, d, e, g)
• Coastal Passage along Korean Coast (Main hazards: b, e, f)

Hazards Involved:

• a) Transit Restrictions by VTS / Local Regulations
• b) Concentration of Shipping and Fishing Traffic
• c) Presence of Navigational Hazards and Lack of Aids
• d) Limited or Outdated Oceanographic Surveys
• e) Local Conditions of Wind, Sea Current, and Visibility
• f) Presence of Traffic Routing and Management Systems
• g) Security-Related Concerns - Piracy

Prior entry into these areas, the Master must ensure:

• Compliance with NAV-10
• Consideration for Voluntary Pilotage (FOM 3.13 Section 9.1)

MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL HIGH-RISK AREAS (MEHRAs)

MEHRAs are areas with high environmental sensitivity at risk from shipping activities. Thirty-two locations around the UK coast have been identified as MEHRAs based on shipping risks, environmental sensitivity, and existing protection measures.

MEHRAs are essential for passage planning, alerting Masters to areas where extra caution is required.

For more information, refer to the Annual Notice to Mariners No. 26.