TANKERS TO SKIRT CERTAIN U.K. AREAS

Oil tankers traveling through British waters will avoid environmentally sensitive areas under a voluntary agreement among government, tanker owners, oil companies, and shipping organizations. The U.K. Department of Transport (DOT) said detailed agreement is planned by the end of February for a scheme to route shipping away from: Fair Isle Strait between the Shetland Islands and Fair Isle, the route taken by the Braer before it ran aground (OGJ, Jan. 11, p. 26). Isles of Scilly off Southwest

Feb. 23, 1993

Oil tankers traveling through British waters will avoid environmentally sensitive areas under a voluntary agreement among government, tanker owners, oil companies, and shipping organizations.

The U.K. Department of Transport (DOT) said detailed agreement is planned by the end of February for a scheme to route shipping away from:

Fair Isle Strait between the Shetland Islands and Fair Isle, the route taken by the Braer before it ran aground (OGJ, Jan. 11, p. 26).
Isles of Scilly off Southwest England.
The Minches between the Outer Hebrides and Northwest Scotland.
Pentland Firth between the Orkney Islands and northern Scotland.
The measures will be promulgated by the industry by mid-March in the form of a code, DOT said. This will then be passed by the government to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for endorsement in May.

Finally, the measures could be published internationally as an addition to the Ship Routing document issued by the IMO.