Circular

  1 The Maritime Safety Committee (the Committee), at its eighty-sixth session (27 May to 5 June 2009), approved a number of amendments to the Technical specifications for communications within the LRIT system which entail a number of amendments to MSC.1/Circ.1297 on Guidance to Search and Rescue services in relation to requesting and receiving LRIT information in relation to provision of LRIT information to Search and Rescue services and, as a consequence, approved the Guidance to Search and Rescue services in relation to requesting and receiving LRIT information (the Guidance), as set out in the annex.

  2 The Committee also agreed, having considered the proposal of the Sub-Committee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue, at its thirteenth session (19 to 23 January 2009), and notwithstanding the provisions of SOLAS regulation V/19-1.12 in relation to the provision of LRIT information to Search and Rescue (SAR) services of SOLAS Contracting Governments for the search and rescue of persons in distress at sea, that SAR services were permitted to request LRIT information transmitted by a specific ship when an uncertainty or alert phase, as defined in the annex to the 1979 SAR Convention, might need to be declared or has been declared in relation to the ship in question or those on board.

  3 The Committee further agreed to keep the Guidance under review and to amend it, as and when the circumstances warrant.

  4 SOLAS Contracting Governments are invited to bring the present circular and its annex to the attention of their SAR services and to provide them with any necessary further guidance and instruction so as to ensure that the objectives of this circular are achieved.

  5 SOLAS Contracting Governments are invited to bring the present circular and its annex to the attention of those engaged in the implementation of the provisions of SOLAS regulation V/19-1 and/or the development, establishment or operation of their LRIT Data Centres.

  6 The United States, having agreed to provide the International LRIT Data Exchange on an interim basis, is invited to bring the present circular to the attention of those engaged in the operation of the International LRIT Data Exchange.

  7 SOLAS Contracting Governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations with consultative status, the LRIT Coordinator, LRIT Data Centres acting through the SOLAS Contracting Government(s) which have established them, the International LRIT Data Exchange acting through the United States and SAR services acting through their SOLAS Contracting Government(s), are also invited to bring to the attention of the Committee, at the earliest opportunity, the results of the experience gained from the use of the Guidance for consideration of action to be taken.

  8 This circular revokes MSC.1/Circ.1308 and any reference to MSC.1/Circ.1308 should be read as reference to the present circular.