Maritime Pilotage Service Activities

To be specific, Circular 43 stipulates that maritime pilot organizations operating within compulsory maritime pilotage areas are obligated to provide maritime pilotage services on assigned routes, ensuring service quality, maritime safety, maritime security, and environmental pollution prevention in accordance with the provisions of the law.

At the same time, in a compulsory maritime pilotage area with two or more pilot organizations operating, the pilot organizations must have a Coordination Regulation for providing maritime pilotage services. The Vietnam Maritime Administration presides over the development of a Coordination Regulation among the pilot organizations to ensure the management of maritime pilotage services according to legal regulations.

Based on the specific characteristics of each compulsory maritime pilotage area, the Coordination Regulation for maritime pilotage services includes the following basic contents:

- Contact information of the coordinating maritime pilot organization;- The daily pilotage plan of the maritime pilot organization;- Coordination of maritime pilots during the pilotage process, especially when ships navigate through narrow channels, turning areas, restricted zones, overtaking areas, or areas with high density of vessel activities;- Notification of pilotage situations in necessary cases such as accidents, incidents, or detection of obstacles dangerous to maritime operations;- Support for arranging maritime pilots if one pilot organization cannot meet the pilotage service requirements at a certain time; the assigned pilot must meet the relevant legal requirements;- Assignment of maritime pilots to lead ships from piers, buoy terminals, ports, anchorage areas, transshipment areas, storm shelters, shipbuilding and repair yards to other piers, buoy terminals, ports, anchorage areas, transshipment areas, storm shelters, shipbuilding and repair yards within the compulsory pilotage area;- Support with facilities and means;- Other contents (if any).

Maritime pilots holding certificates for operating in two or more compulsory maritime pilotage areas and meeting relevant legal requirements may pilot ships in these compulsory maritime pilotage areas with the consent of the managing maritime pilot organization and the pilot organization assigned to operate in that compulsory pilotage area.

For more details, see Circular 43/2018/TT-BGTVT, effective from October 1, 2018.

-Thao Uyen-

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