The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has released a new video to be screened on the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Vessel Traffic Service (REEFVTS), which is currently being shown on the AMSA website, as well as on the REEFVTS platform. Following a number of high profile groundings of commercial vessels on the Great Barrier Reef in the last ten years, a traffic surveillance program has been installed in the area, as well as new safety proceedings to prevent accidents in the environmentally protected reef.
REEFVTS, which is based in Townsville, Queensland, is an initiative instituted jointly between the Maritime Safety Queensland authority and the AMSA. REEFVTS monitors the extent of coastline between Sandy Cape and Cape York, and is one of the largest maritime traffic monitoring instruments in the world.
The aim of the REEFVTS initiative is to improve the ease of navigation for vessels travelling through the Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef area, by providing ships moving in the region with information on marine traffic, safe routes to traverse and the possibility of collisions or route conflicts with other vessels in the area.
The Barrier Reef is a highly sensitive ecosystem and is subject to strict environmental regulations to protect the area. In particular, the impact of shipping and commercial marine activity in the region needs to be limited. REEFVTS also hopes to help prevent damage to this important ecosystem by minimizing the risk of accidents and consequent pollution in the form of oil spills and vessel debris in the region. Finally, if an accident does occur, REEFVTS aims to provide an efficient and rapid response to reduce the amount of pollution and damage to crew members, the environment and the vessel.
Since its introduction in 2004, REEFVTS has led to a 90 percent reduction in vessel groundings in the region, with only one ship grounded on the reef in the last eight years. These results make the project a resounding success. AMSA hopes that the release of this new video will further add to the efficacy of REEFVTS and ensure that the Great Barrier Reef remains intact for future generations without impacting on the shipping services running through the area.
By working collaboratively on the REEFVTS initiative, AMSA and Maritime Safety Queensland are encouraging cooperation and communication between vessels to make shipping operations safer for the crew members, the community as a whole and the natural treasure that is the Great Barrier Reef.
