Maritime Safety Information

According to SOLAS Convention Chapter V provision 4, every state is responsible for informing every interested party of any danger on which information is obtained.

Maritime safety information is important notices and information regarding maritime safety which is notified to vessels. National Coordinator is an organisation authorized by the state, and this is one of tasks of Hydrographic Service. Function of National Coordinator is to gather information regarding changes in maritime safety regime - changes in operation of aids to navigation, restrictions planned in shipping routes, including military training, mines, warnings regarding lost cargo, dangerous uncharted wrecks etc. The information is analysed and notified to vessels and coastal services according to international requirements.

Notification of maritime safety information can be carried out the following ways:

• publication in monthly edition “Notices to Mariners” which is mainly used to update navigational charts and other navigational publications;
• urgent information is sent as a navigational warning NAVAREA I to Baltic Sea sub-coordinator BALTICO (Sweden) to be announced in NAVTEX system;
• urgent information as a navigational warning is sent to MRCC Riga to be notified in Latvian waters in area A1 of Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga via GMDSS.

Monthly edition “Notices to Mariners” and other navigational publications are issued digitally and are available at HD Publications

Navigational warnings in NAVTEX are available at NAVTEX.LV

* Navigational warnings received from internet site do not exempt the vessel from responsibility to receive navigational warnings according to IMO requirements.