土耳其海峡船舶通行新规引发的相关责任

来源： The Skuld P&I Club@2019.04.25

 

背景

土耳其海峡是世界上最繁忙的水道之一，对国际航运业具有至关重要的意义，尤其对于涉及黑海、亚速海(克里米亚半岛东北部)、马尔马拉海、爱琴海和地中海的贸易而言。博斯普鲁斯海峡长约10海里，最窄处仅有700米宽，水流强劲且有急弯。达达尼尔海峡长约38海里。除在卡那卡莱市附近两个重要的转弯之外，该海峡基本上是笔直的。恰纳卡莱市是海峡最窄的地方。请查看下图了解海峡位置。

监管背景

《蒙特勒公约》（1936年）确立了所有商船可不分昼夜在土耳其海峡内自由航行的基本原则。

土耳其当局拥有控制过境船舶的特定权力，但其中特别提及，引航和拖航仍然是非强制的。

 

土耳其海峡于1994年发生一系列严重事故后，土耳其提出了分道航行计划(TSS)，该制度于1995年被国际海事组织（IMO）采用，以改善航行安全。土耳其还出台在该海峡航行的规定。这些规定在1998年修订本以及2002年“新指令”中进行更新，上述版本同时还新增其他内容，如在能见度低的情况下暂停全部交通，在某些类型船舶过境期间实施单向通行，以及限制载运危险货物的大型船船舶仅在白天通行。

 

土耳其于2003年12月31日在土耳其海峡范围内实施船舶交通服务，以进一步改善航行安全。

 

新规

续2018年4月的海难事故后（“Vita Spirit”轮穿越博斯普鲁斯海峡时转向失灵，与海岸发生触碰，对一座历史悠久的建筑造成严重损坏（如下图所示）），土耳其当局对土耳其海峡交通规则进行了新的调整，自2018年9月1日起生效。

调整的目的在于加强土耳其海峡及其周围地区的航行安全以及生命、环境和财产安全。

 

2018年新规内容

* 通过海峡的300总吨（或以上）的所有船舶，都需持有有效的保赔险保单。之前的限制是500总吨。

* 船舶总长（以下简称“LOA”）在300米以上的客船和集装箱船，以及船舶总长400米以上的其他所有船舶，必须在通过海峡前10天向港口当局提出申请，以获得必要的通行许可。

* 船舶通过海峡的中途停留的最大时长已从48小时增加到168小时。

* 打捞作业现在只能由相关港口当局依职权进行，船舶不得自行安排救助。

* 船舶航行时需与海峡内桥墩/桥柱保持100米以上距离。

* 船舶在进入海峡或航经马尔马拉海时，如遭遇故障/失去操控性能/不适航，必须立即通知港口船长（Harbour Master），并接受港口主管机关或者认可船级社的检查，船舶接受检验获得上述机构批准之后，该船方可继续航行。必要时，船舶必须使用引航服务通过海峡。

* 博斯普鲁斯海峡通行规则---所有油轮、载运危险货物总长为200米及以上的船舶、所有拖轮、所有适用额外航行条件的船舶、所有总长为250 米及以上的船舶（油轮和载运危险货物的船舶除外)，以及深吃水船舶应当在白天通过海峡。根据新规，强烈建议上述船舶在引航员的协助下，并在VTS中心拖轮的护航下通过海峡。

*  达达尼尔海峡通行规则---无论满载或空载，所有总长为200米及以上的油轮、载有《国际海运危险货物规则1》货物的总长为200米及以上的船舶和深吃水的船舶，均须在白天通过海峡。强烈建议所有总长为250米或以上的油轮，以及载有危险品的船只，在引航员的协助并在VTS中心拖轮的护航下通过海峡。

*  LNG及LPG船舶应于日间通过海峡，由拖轮护送，每艘拖船系缆桩拉力至少为60吨，拖轮总拉力不少于150吨，相反方向船舶则须暂停航行。

*  船舶在通过土耳其博斯普鲁斯海峡三桥期间不得超车，且船舶距离桥柱需保持100米以上距离。

*  现已采取措施对与当地代理会面地点和时长进行限制。

 

海洋污染惩罚

土耳其当局已将海洋污染处罚提高了三倍。协会建议船长、管理公司、船东和海员格外小心谨慎，避免遭受巨额罚款。

 

结语

据报道，2018年底和2019年初期间，新规在该地区造成了严重船舶延误，尤其是对船长超250米的船舶和大型油轮。作为对于新条例的回应，Worldscale Association（全称是New World Tanker Nominal Freight and Demurrage Information Pool Scale Association）对于涉及博斯普鲁斯海峡过境的航次费率进行修订。此外，据报道，船舶延误减少了执行该航线的船舶运力，船东收入从而得到提高。

 

尽管有如文中所述的新规以及相应惩罚措施，但对于船东来而言，好消息是土耳其当局将对实际情况进行持续监测并处理因此而产生的问题。

 

今年三月份，据宣布，土耳其交通部正在制定措施以保障交通畅通，措施包括允许油轮以6英里的间隔进入达达尼尔海峡，这意味着油轮等候驶入海峡的周期间隔由原来的60分钟缩短至35至40分钟。

 

通函内容，请以英文原文为准，汉语翻译仅供参考。如您对上述内容有任何疑问，新乔十分乐意为您解答并提供帮助。

 

Liabilities arising under the Turkish Straits clauses

Background

The Turkish Straits are among the busiest waterways in the world. They have crucial importance for the international shipping industry especially for trades involving the Black Sea, Sea of Azov (Northeast of Crimean Peninsula), Marmara Sea, Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea. The Bosphorus Strait is about 10 nautical miles in length and just 700 meters wide at the narrowest point. It has strong currents and sharp turns. The Dardanelles Strait is about 38 nautical miles long. The passage is generally straightforward, except for two significant turns, near the City of Canakkale where the Strait is narrowest. Please see diagram below showing the locations of the Straits.

 

Regulatory background 

The Montreux Convention (1936) established the general principle of freedom of navigation through the Turkish Straits, for all merchant vessels, by day and night. The Turkish authorities had certain powers to control transit vessels, but pilotage and towage were specifically cited as remaining optional.

 

Following a series of serious incidents in the Turkish Straits in 1994, Turkey proposed a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS), which was adopted by IMO in 1995 to improve navigational safety. Turkey also introduced regulations for navigation in the Straits. These were updated by a revision in 1998 and 'New Instructions' in 2002 including, amongst other things, the suspension of all traffic in conditions of poor visibility, the implementation of one-way traffic during the transit of certain types of vessels and the restriction of large vessels carrying hazardous cargo to daylight-only transit.

 

On 31 December 2003, Turkey implemented a Vessel Traffic Service within the Turkish Straits to further improve navigational safety.

 

New regulations

The authorities have imposed new changes with effect from 1 September 2018 on the rules governing traffic in the Turkish Straits after an incident in April 2018 involving the m/v "Vita Spirit" which suffered a steering failure while transiting the Bosphorus Strait and contacted the shore heavily damaging a historical mansion (please see image below).

 

The purpose of the changes was to increase the security of navigation and safety of life, environment and property in and around the Turkish Straits.

 

New regulations 2018 

*    Any vessel with 300 GT (or larger) should have a valid P&I cover for passing the Straits. The previous limit was 500 GT.

*    Passenger and container vessels with length overall (LOA) above 300 meters and all vessels with LOA more than 400 meters, need to apply to the Harbour Authorities 10 days before their passage in order to obtain the necessary passage permission.

*    The maximum stopover period to maintain her "in transit" status has been increased from 48 hours to 168 hours.

*    Salvage operations shall now only be carried out by the relevant port authority ex officio and no time will be granted to the vessel for the salvage by her own means.

*    Vessels shall not be permitted to get closer than 100 meters to bridge piers/legs in the Straits.

*    Any vessel that has suffered a malfunction/lost technical competence/become unseaworthy before entering the Straits or while passing Marmara Sea, shall immediately notify the Harbour Master and be inspected either by the Harbour Authorities or an approved Class and can continue her voyage only upon obtaining permission from them. If it is deemed necessary, she will be obligated to pass the Straits with the use of pilotage services.

*    Rules for passage of the Bosphorus Strait – all tankers and vessels that are carrying dangerous cargo with LOA of 200m and longer, all tows, all vessels subject to the additional passage conditions, all vessels with a LOA of 250m and longer (except tankers and ships carrying dangerous goods) and/or deep draft vessels shall perform their transit through the strait during day time period. Under the new regulations it is highly recommended that such vessels should perform their transit under the assistance of pilots and with the escort of tugboats to be determined by VTS Centre.

*    Rules for passage of the Dardanelles Strait – whether full or empty, all tankers with a LOA of 200m and longer, vessels carrying IMDG Code 1 with a LOA of 200m and longer and deep draft vessels shall perform their passages during day time period; all tankers with a LOA of 250m and longer, and vessels carrying dangerous cargo are highly recommended to perform their passage under assistance of pilots and with the escort of tugboats to be determined by VTS Centre.

*    LNG and LPG vessels should (a) pass the Straits during daylight (b) be escorted by tugboats with minimum 60 tons bollard pull each and in total no less than 150 tons, whilst traffic from the opposite direction is suspended.

*    Vessels are not allowed to overtake another vessel while passing under the three bridges of Turkish Straits and should not come closer than 100 meters to the legs of the bridges.

*    Measures have now been introduced that limit the place and duration of meetings with local agents.

 

Marine pollution penalties

Turkish authorities have increased marine pollution penalties by a factor of three. The club recommends that captains, managers, owners and seafarers take extra diligence and precautions to avoid hefty fines.

 

Conclusion 

At the end of 2018 and early 2019, it was being reported that the new regulations were causing significant delays in the region, particularly for vessels longer than 250m and large tankers. In response to the new regulations the Worldscale Association amended rates for voyages involving transit of the Bosporus Strait. Further it has been reported that delays were reducing the list of vessels able to perform a voyage, thus helping owners' earnings.

 

Despite the range of new regulations and penalties described in this article, the good news for shipowners is that the Turkish authorities continue to monitor the position and respond to problems.

 

In March this year it was announced that the Turkish Ministry of Transport were devising measures to smooth traffic flows including allowing tankers to enter the Dardanelles in 6 miles intervals which means one ship every 35 to 40 minutes as opposed to every 60 minutes.

 

https://www.skuld.com/topics/ship/navigation/liabilities-arising-under-the-turkish-straits-clauses/