Page 21 - Loodswezen Magazine 17

That is something the participants of the last two workshops have already been discussing. Representatives of the Wadden Association, Harlingen Seaports, Rijkswaterstaat Noord-Nederland, VTS opera- tors, the Harbour Master’s Division of Groningen Seaports, shipping company Rederij Doeksen, and the pilots of Nederlands Loodswezen Region Noord have held discussions, chaired by a process supervisor, to monitor the western Wadden Area on the actual nautical safety. The question, ‘how to proceed from here?’ can only be answered if conclu- sions can be drawn from what has been discussed in the workshops. According to Deen, all parties have now realised that they need each other when it comes to ensuring nautical safety. “Where the authori- ties lack the specific nautical knowledge and experience, we, as pilots, will be happy to assist because we believe that, at a later stage, it will provide clarity for traffic participants.”
IT IS BECAUSE SUCH A THING HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE; THAT’S WHY IT’S SO UNIQUE
He adds that it is the responsibility of the fairway manager to set up an admission policy. “We, as pilots, have been involved because our advice has been taken into account in the policy. On the fairway to Harlingen, the competent authority is not actively involved in creating and communicating tidal windows. It is partly for this reason that we are pleased that consultations with the authorities have been set up. What we would like to see is a clear policy as well as enforcement of
PHOTOGRAPHY: RIJKSWATERSTAAT PHOTOGRAPHY: JOACHIM DE RUIJTER
that policy, particularly in view of the fact that oversized ships (i.e. ships constrained by draft and/or length) are currently exempt from compul- sory pilotage. On some parts of the fairway, oversized ships can only overtake or pass other ships when prior arrangements with respect to time and location have been made. All traffic participants, including the captains of these ships, must rely on the competent authority for preparing a clear policy, its enforcement, and its communication. The same, of course, holds true for the large number of recreational craft using this maritime area, because it concerns their personal safety. This much is certain, all the parties involved have to make a joint effort in order to reduce the risks.
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