Revisions to Ship’s Routeing and Reporting System of Qiongzhou Strait

Members with ships transiting through Qiongzhou Strait (also called the Hainan Strait) are advised of the recent announcement by China MSA on the revised Ship Routeing and Reporting System, which will take effect on 1 April 2022.

The revised Ship Routeing System consists of Separation Zones, Boundary Lines, Traffic Lanes, Precautionary Areas, Areas to be Avoided, Recommended Routes, Roundabout and Inshore Traffic Zones. Ships are forbidden from anchoring, fishing and farming in the Traffic Lanes and Precautionary Areas. Ships shall avoid crossing traffic lanes as far as practicable and shall report to the VTS in advance if ships are obliged to cross. Participating ships shall not be exempted from the obligation under the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea, 1972.

The revised Reporting System consists of 4 reporting lines, ships entering the reporting area shall report to Qiongzhou Strait VTS Center but reporting is not required when a ship leaves the reporting area. In an event of any traffic or pollution incident, or any other emergencies, ships shall immediately report the incident and provide relevant information to the VTS. The working channel of Qiongzhou Strait VTS Center is VHF 08 and VHF 25.

Ships in violation of the revised Ship Routeing and Reporting System shall be subject to by MSA in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and rules. As such, it is recommended that the relevant charts and passage plans are updated accordingly and ships transiting the strait should strictly comply with the revised system.

As highlighted in the club’s previous news item linked below, members should also be mindful of the emission control requirements of Hainan waters (that entered into effect from 1 January 2022), and ensure that the sulphur content of the fuel-in-use does not exceed 0.1% m/m when transiting the Qiongzhou Strait.

For further details, please refer to the attached circular published by the club’s correspondent in China (Huatai Marine).

Category: Loss Prevention