Circular of Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration on Further Strengthening Ship Traffic Management in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent Waters
Circular of Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration on Further Strengthening Ship Traffic Management in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent Waters
No.7
In order to prevent and defuse the risk of ship traffic accidents in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent waters, relieve the navigation pressure in the A and B warning areas of the Yangtze River Estuary, improve the overall navigation efficiency, and ensure the safety, orderliness and smooth flow of maritime traffic, in accordance with the Maritime Traffic Safety Law of the People's Republic of China and Vessel Routing System in the Yangtze River Estuary (2008), The following notices are issued to guide and divert ship traffic flow in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent waters:
1. The North-South coastal transit vessels sailing in the Yangtze River estuary and its adjacent waters shall have priority in the Jin-Guangzhou Outer shipping route (the customary North-South shipping route of 123° 00’e longitude) or the diverging waters (the waters between 122° 45’e longitude and 122° 50’e longitude).
2. If it is safe and feasible, vessels sailing through warning area A and B of the Yangtze River Estuary shall give priority to the following navigation advice and follow the field command of VTS:
(1) Ships entering the deep water channel of the Yangtze River Estuary may use the Yangtze Estuary C1 traffic diversion to turn to the warning zone of the Yangtze Estuary A, or use the diverting waters and the Jinzhou-Guangzhou external navigation Road to turn to the traffic diversion zone of the Yangtze Estuary A;
(2) Ships sailing from the deep-water channel of the Yangtze River Estuary to the Yangtze River Estuary and intending to turn northbound or southbound shall be diverted eastbound along the navigable lanes A of the Yangtze River Estuary and turn to the diverging waters or the Jinzhou-Guangzhou external navigation Road;
(3) Ships entering the Nankou Waterway from the Yangtze River Estuary may use the C3 traffic separation lane of the Yangtze River Estuary to turn to the warning zone B of the Yangtze River Estuary, or use the diversion waters and the Jinzhou-Guangzhou external traffic Road to turn to the traffic separation lane of the Yangtze River Estuary B;
(4) Ships sailing from the Nantrough channel to the Yangtze River Estuary and intending to turn northbound or southbound shall run eastbound along the Yangtze River Estuary B navigable lanes and turn by diverting water areas or Jinzhou-Guangzhou external navigation Road; Ships intending to turn southbound can also do so in the B warning zone of the Yangtze River Estuary.
3. Vessels shall design routes according to the navigable environment and hydrometeorological conditions, taking into account factors such as the distribution of nets of fishing vessels, their maneuverability and wind resistance, comply with the on-site traffic organization measures taken by VTS to ensure navigational safety and navigational efficiency, and comply with the relevant provisions of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea 1972 and the Routing System for Ships in the Yangtze River Estuary (2008).
4. The ship shall choose the anchorage reasonably according to the navigation plan and tonnage of the ship. When entering or leaving the anchorage, the ship shall have the same intention of avoiding the anchorage with the surrounding ships. Vessels may not anchor in diverting waters, and in case of emergency, they shall report to the maritime administrative authority immediately.
5. For vessels sailing between the Jiuduansha warning area and the piloting operation area at the entrance of the Nankou Waterway, special attention should be paid to the water depth variation in the waters near the boundary of the waterway.
6. This circular shall come into force on 1 February 2023 and shall remain in force until 31 January 2026.
We hereby inform you.
Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China
December 23, 2022
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