Maritime Administration of Latvia Latvian Hydrographic Service Mr.Jānis Krastiņš MACHC Seminar Acapulco 2006

1. Maritime Administration of Latvia Latvian Hydrographic Service Mr.Jānis Krastiņš MACHC Seminar Acapulco 2006

2. Content • Latvia –country at the Baltic Sea • Re-establishment of LHS • Changes in Maritime policies • Maritime Administration of Latvia • Latvian Hydrographic Service • Divisions of HS – duties and products • International cooperation • Strengths of present structure • Weaknesses of present Status

3. Latvia – country at the Baltic Sea

4. Latvia –country at the Baltic Sea • Territory of the country - 64 589 km2 • Population - 2 306 600 (2005) • Coastline – aproxim. 500 km • Number of ports: • 3 major ports • 7 small ports • Cargo turnover in 2005 – 60 000 000 tons

5. Re-establishment of Latvian hydrographic Service • Re-established in 1992 – Act of the Minister of Maritime Affairs of the Republic of Latvia • To establish Latvian HS by taking over responsibilities from Military HO of Russian Federation • To appoint the Hydrographer • To approve Statutes of LHS • To approve Staff-roll • Financial provision

6. LHS in 1992 • Number of employees – 300 • Departments • Main office • Three regional offices • Number of Aids to Navigation – 177 • Heritage from Soviet Navy • Charts, survey plans • Aids to Navigation • First Hydrographic Surveys in 1993 • Finances from the State Budget • Changes of Maritime policy in 1994

7. Changes in Maritime policies • 1994 Maritime Administration of Latvia created • Several separate organisations joined • Hydrographic Service • Ships Register • Seamen Register • Maritime Safety Department • Administrative Department • Ministry of Maritime Affairs incorporated into the Ministry of Transport

8. Changes in Maritime policies • Legal issues - Maritime Code covering responsibilities of Maritime Administration of Latvia • Finances – Lighthouses’ Dues, Canal and pilot Dues

9. Maritime Administration of Latvia • Reorganisation of Maritime Administration of Latvia (MAL) in 2000 • Status of MAL – State owned Stock Company • Legal issues: • Law on Maritime Administration and Safety • Maritime Code • Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers • Regulations of the Ministry of the Transport

10. Maritime Administration of Latvia Aprox. 120employees

11. Maritime Administration of Latvia • Present financial model • Navigational due paid by each vessel calling Latvian ports aprox.60% of the annual budget • Products and Services provided by MAL aprox.40%of annual budget • Annual budget aprox.3.0 milj. EUR • Finances from the State Budgetfor the projects of State’s responsibility – GMDSS, AIS etc.

12. Latvian Hydrographic Service • Main responsibilities according to the Law on Maritime Safety and Administration: • Hydrographic surveying in accordance with standards and recommendations of IHO, including control of hydrographic surveying in the country • Preparation, publication and distribution of navigational publications, corrections and keeping up-to-date • Aids to Navigation – control on compliance with the IALA-AISM recommendations, acceptance of new projects • MSI, publication of Navigational warnings, Notices to Mariners and acting as an National Coordinator

13. Latvian Hydrographic Service Some other main issues covered by the Law on Maritime Safety and Administration: • Only official hydrographic surveys are those performed by the LHS • Navigational publications – The Pilot, the List of the lights, The Chart Catalogue, Charts, Notices to Mariners, Symbols and Abbreviations – assigned as “OFFICIAL” publications • The use of Official ENC without carriage of paper charts (fulfilling certain conditions) • Reporting on any damaged or improper Aids to Navigation in use and any other MSI

14. Present structure of LHS Head of Hydrographic Service Hydrographic Surveying Division Cartography Aids to Navigation 8 persons 6 persons 3 persons Survey vessel “Kristiāns Dāls” 4 persons 24 employees + 3 vacancies

15. Finances of LHS • Annual budget aprox. 430 000 EUR • Budget maydiffer from year to year depending on investments into development, projects and plans • Income from Products and Services ~ 12 % • 1/3 hydrographic surveys • 2/3 revenues from sales of Cartographic data

16. Personnel of LHS • First employees from HO of Soviet Union • Personnel attracted from land surveying and mapping and from maritime business • Cooperation with Latvian Maritime Academy – two groups • Courses in IMA Trieste, Italy • In-house training of personnel • Several seminars and training coursesat regional and European level • International cooperation in technical working groups

17. Hydrographic Surveying Division • Hydrographic surveys: • Single beam echo sounders • Multibeam echo sounder • Side scan sonar • Magnetometric • Changes of coastline • Survey crafts: • Hydrographic vessel “Kristiāns dāls” • Survey launch • Small survey catamarans

18. Hydrographic vessel “Kristiāns Dāls”

19. Cartography • Both paper and electronic navigational charts in accordance with IHO standards • First chart (Port of Liepaja 3502) -1995 • Full ENC coverage of Latvian waters (including EEZ) since 2003 • Fully introduced chart production scheme ENC - Paper Charts

20. Paper chart coverage

21. ENCs coverage

22. Cartography • Other publications: • Pilot of Baltic Sea Latvian Coast (Sailing directions) • List of Aids to Navigation (List of Lights) • Chart Catalogue • Notices to Mariners (Monthly) • Set of Latvian Charts for Yachts • Symbols and Abbreviations on Latvian Navigational Charts • any other publication,special chart or plan on demand

23. Cartography • Distribution: • Local distributors – paper charts only • Ordering via INTERNET • International distributors: • Paper charts – Bilateral agreement with UK, Germany • Electronic Navigational Charts: • PRIMAR Stavanger • TRANSAS • C-Map • Garmin

24. Aids to Navigation (AtoN) • Main task – to control of maintenance and operation of Aids to Navigation in Latvian waters • National Monitoring system • All AtoNs in accordance with standards of IALA-AISM • LHS member of IALA-AISM • Currently 270 Aids to Navigation

25. LHS – National Coordinator

26. MSI

27. MSI on web and wap • On INTERNET: http://www.navtex.lv • Mobile phone (wap): http://www.navtex.lv/wap/navtex.php

28. International cooperation • IHO - International Hydrographic Organisation: • LHS – National contact point • Active participation in regional commision (currently chairing BSHC) • HELCOM dangerous cargoe and passenger shipping routes resurvey in Baltic Sea • IALA–AISM – national member (Aids to Navigation management Committee) • PRIMAR Stavanger - member, participation in Advisory Committy

30. Strengths of present structure • Flexibility • Not dependant on State’s budget • Not affected by political changes • Very easy cooperation among Departments of MAL • Effective and fast cooperation among Divisions of LHS • Decision taking process – no need to approach ministerial level • Possibilities to compete with the salaries in the labour market of the maritime industry • Less bureaucracy

31. Shortcomings of present status • Influence of the main ports - Council (Law on Ports) • Difficult to increase navigational due • Legal Status does not allow to issue legal acts and regulations • Current Status does not allow to act as Public Agency in some cases • Political awareness not always at sufficient level

32. Thank you! ??? QUESTIONS