The Philippine Delegation to the Fourth Session of the Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR), made a detailed presentation on the proposed Area to be Avoided (ATBA) at the meeting of the Experts Group on Ships Routeing last 6-10 March 2017 at the IMO Headquarters in London.

Philippine Permanent Representative to the IMO and head of Delegation Gilberto Asuque with the Director of Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, College of Law, University of the Philippines, Prof. Jay Batongbacal, Ph.D., conducted the presentation at the Experts Group meeting. They were assisted by Captain Eustacio Nimrod P. Enriquez Jr, PCG, Maritime Technical Adviser, Philippine Embassy.

The ATBA is a necessary Associated Protective Measure (APM) to comply with the decision of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) at its session last year approving the designation of the TRNP as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) subject to the approval by the NCSR 4 of the ATBA as an APM.

Aside from reducing, if not eliminating, the risk of ship grounding in the TRNP, the ATBA would allow more time to respond to incidents such as ships adrift or accidental discharges/pollution from ships travelling within the vicinity of the TRNP and prevent and reduce the risk of pollution or other damage to the marine environment.

NCSR 4 endorsed to the next meeting of the Maritime Safety Division (MSC 98, 07-16 June 2017) the adoption of the ATBA for the TRNP.  The decision of MSC 98 on the ATBA would be endorsed to the next meeting of the MEPC 71, 03-07 July 2017, for the final designation of the TRNP as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas with the Area to be Protected.

A Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) is an area that needs special protection through action by IMO because of its significance for recognized ecological or socio-economic or scientific reasons and which may be vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities. 

When an area is approved as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area, specific measures can be used to control the maritime activities in that area, such as routeing measures, an ATBA, strict application of MARPOL discharge and equipment requirements for ships, among other measures. 

The decision of MSC 98 on the ATBA for the TRNP will become effective on 01 January 2018 after a six-month notification period for the global shipping industry. 

The TRNP is an offshore reef complex in the middle of the vast Sulu Sea with an estimated surface area of 127,989 square miles (331,492 square kilometres). With the ATBA, all ships are able to navigate safely in the sea space beyond the TRNP.