Abstract

The recent maiden voyage of the Yara Birkeland witnessed yet another development in autonomy that is transforming the maritime sector. Marine autonomous surface ships (MASS) are claimed to bring many opportunities to society at large, not least in terms of operational efficiency and safety of the crew, fewer emissions, and greener shipping. On the assumption that MASS will prove safe enough to ply our seas and oceans, this article investigates the flexibility and ability of the existing International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations on ships’ routing, ship reporting, and vessel traffic service (VTS) to respond to the technological developments, allowing for the operation of both remotely controlled ships without seafarers on board and fully autonomous ships. It argues that the regulations in question are largely supportive of autonomy. Challenges, however, exist when it comes to the employment of fully autonomous ships and the effective use of VTS.

摘要

Yara Birkeland最近的处女航见证了正在改变海事部门的自治的又一发展。据称，海上自主水面舰艇（MASS）为整个社会带来了许多机会，尤其是在操作效率和船员安全、更少的排放和更环保的航运方面。假设 MASS 将证明足够安全，可以在我们的海洋中航行，本文研究了现有国际海事组织 (IMO) 关于船舶航线、船舶报告和船舶交通服务 (VTS) 的法规的灵活性和响应能力随着技术的发展，允许操作没有海员在船上的遥控船舶和完全自主的船舶。它认为，相关法规在很大程度上支持自治。然而，挑战