The Ambassador speaks at a virtual meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Control and Regulation of Maritime Transit in the Strait Of Boniface, 22 April 2021
Ambassador Raffaele Trombetta addressed a virtual meeting today of the Italian Parliamentary Committee for Control and Regulation of Maritime Transport in the Strait of Boniface. He spoke in his capacity as Italy’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is headquartered in London. The focus of the meeting was improving environmental protection of the marine ecosystem in the international strait between Sardinia and Corsica and the possibility of establishing a regime of mandatory pilotage through it.
The Ambassador outlined the measures that have already been adopted by the IMO, with active input from of Italy and France, to protect the ecosystem in the strait. These include the 1993 and 2011 resolutions setting guidelines for the states bordering the strait, including measures to disincentivise the transit of tankers and similar vessels.
A number of compulsory measures are already in place to protect the ecosystem in the strait. However, pilotage is only recommended and the Ambassador noted that unfortunately the experience of the past few years has shown that this non-compulsory regime has had limited success.
He gave an overview of the criteria for introducing a regime of compulsory pilotage, noting that it would have to be validated by the IMO. He also noted that international best practice has never expressly recommended compulsory pilotage in international waters, except in the Strait of Torres, between Australia and New Guinea, although potentially dangerous ships, such as tankers, are subject to extremely stringent measures.
A proposal for the introduction of compulsory pilotage would have to be agreed upon by the French and Italian authorities, subject to consensus at European level with the IMO member states and other international actors.
– Video of the virtual meeting
– The Embassy’s Maritime Office
– IMO
