EMSA’s Maritime Support Services (MSS)
EMSA’s Maritime Support Services (MSS)
Telephone
+351 211 209 415
Fax
+351 211 209 480
Email
MaritimeSupportServices@emsa.europa.eu
2.09 Ship Gathered AIS
Agency responsible
Data group
02. Vessel Positions
Coast Guard Functions with access
Maritime Safety Including Vessel Traffic Management
Maritime Ship and Port Security
Maritime Customs Activities
Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking and Smuggling and Connected Maritime Law Enforcement
Maritime Border Control
Maritime Monitoring and Surveillance
Maritime Environmental Protection & Response
Maritime Search and Rescue
Ship Casualty & Maritime Assistance Service
Maritime Accident and Disaster Response
Fisheries Inspection & Control
Status of implementation
Not currently in use
Dissemination channels
Agency web interface
Streaming to Member States
Point(s) of contact
Last reviewed on
Last saved on
Description
Position information transmitted by ships via on board Automatic Identification System (AIS) and gathered automatically by commercial vessels in the area fitted with AIS receiving equipment.
Data elements
- Fixed/static information: MMSI, Call sign and Ship Name, IMO number, Length and beam and Type of ship
- Dynamic information: Ship's position with accuracy indication and integrity status, Position timestamp in UTC, Type of electronic position fixing device, Course over ground (COG), Speed over ground (SOG), True heading, Navigational status and Rate of turn (ROT)
- Voyage related information: Ship's draught, Hazardous cargo (type) and Destination and ETA
Legal basis
SOLAS Regulation V/19.2.4; SafeSeaNet Interface and Functionalities Control Document and Regulation (EC) No 1406/2002 followed by EMSA Work Programmes.
Scope and source of data
Since 2002, the SOLAS Regulation V/19.2.4 requires that all ships of 300 gross tonnage (GT) and upwards engaged on international voyages, cargo ships of 500 GT and upwards not engaged on international voyages and passenger ships irrespective of GT must have an AIS Class A onboard at all times. In 2006, Class B AIS transponders were introduced (with fewer functionalities but at a cheaper cost) and since then even smaller vessels have voluntarily started to use AIS technology.
Since May 2014, following stricter EU legislation, any fishing vessel with an overall length of more than 15 metres and flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Community, or operating in the internal waters or territorial sea of a Member State, or landing its catch in the port of a Member State is also obliged to be equipped with AIS.
Ship Gathered AIS data is collected by receiving equipment on board commercial vessels at sea and is relayed by service providers for integration into EMSA’s streaming interface, from where it is made available to the national systems of Member States and other institutional partners.
Technical implementation
AIS works by automatically broadcasting tracking information at regular intervals via a Very High Frequency (VHF) transmitter built into the transponder to receiving stations. The AIS transponders work in an autonomous and continuous mode and, presently, the two VHF frequencies used are 161.975Mhz (AIS1, or channel 87B) and 162.025Mhz (AIS2, or channel 88B).
EMSA is capable of providing different alternative mechanisms to retrieve Ship-AIS information:
- System-to-system interface which allows exchange of data between EMSA and the national system;
- Graphical user interface providing access to Ship-AIS data;
- App for mobile devices (IMS App) providing access to current maritime picture on smart phones and tablets.
Conditions of access
The exact Conditions of Access will be agreed by EMSA when the data becomes available to users.