Marine Matters

Safer Ships – Cleaner Seas is the name given to a comprehensive report produced by the late Lord Donaldson following the loss of the tanker Braer off the Shetland Island in January 1993. This report looked into a wide range of aspects of the disaster including providing ships masters with information about areas of high risk

One of the biggest threats to the regions environment is in the risk of major pollution following a maritime accident. The Dover Strait is one of the areas identified by Lord Donaldson as being of a high risk and earlier this year the area was included in a government list of Marine Environmental High Risk Areas (MEHRA).

The Dover Strait is considered to be one of the world’s busiest international seaways, used by over 400 commercial ships daily. The number and tonnage of shipping calling at ports in our region are small compared to the overall number that is just passing through.

Try thinking of the Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme as a (foreign) motorway with shipping driving on the right. North east bound ships keep to the French side while those heading south west keep to the UK side. An imaginary central reservation keeps the two lanes apart while inshore traffic zones act as virtual hard shoulders. Like pedestrians crossing a road, ships have to cross the lanes as near to right angles as possible.

Radar operator at Dover Coastguard

The surveillance of all this activity is important for making the shipping lanes as safe as possible.

On the cliff top above Dover harbour is the futuristic looking building that is home to Dover Coastguard. As well as their rescue co-ordination duties they also operate the Channel Navigation Information Service – covering shipping on the UK side. The French Coastguard monitor the north east bound lane on their side of the channel.

International regulations require ships using the scheme report their voyage details to the coastguard when they enter the area. Sophisticated radar and radio surveillance equipment then monitors their progress between approximately 25 miles north east of North Foreland to Beachy Head in Sussex.

Occasionally ships fail to comply with the collision regulations, for example using the wrong lane or crossing the lanes at the wrong angle. When this happens, other shipping is warned of these ‘rogues’ as they are called.

Breaking of these rules can lead to the prosecution of the master or owner of the vessel. If it is not a UK registered vessel and not calling at any UK port the maritime administration of the vessel’s flag state is informed for action.

The coastguard have their own Kent based spotter aircraft to identify rogue shipping and help gather evidence if required.

Virtually every imaginable cargo passes through the Dover Strait and a major accident resulting in serious pollution could have catastrophic implications for the regions wildlife and tourist industry. Such is the importance placed on the risk that one of four salvage tugs chartered by the UK Government to guard the country's coastline is stationed in the Dover Strait.