Coastal Navtex

The coordinator on duty will pass the report on to the correct authority so that the irregularity can be rectified as quickly as possible. Any navigational warnings will be issued in accordance with the guidelines.

The warnings are made over the coastal radio and through Notices to Mariners (EFS), which are issued by the Norwegian Mapping Authority (sea). It is the mariner’s duty to familiarise himself with the navigational warnings that apply to the waters he/she will be operating in.

The navigational warnings are transmitted Coastal Navtex over the coastal radio by telephony and NAVTEX, and they provide mariners with notices of incidents/conditions that are hazardous to shipping.

These warnings include:

• Reporting of faults to National coordinator
• Active navigational warnings
• General navigational warnings

The Norwegian Coastal Administration coordinates and transmits around 750 coastal warnings inside Norwegian waters annually.The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) shall provide mariners with information and communication on emergency situations and safety at sea. GMDSS includes, for example, safety reports, including navigational warnings from the World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS).

WWNWS is administrated by the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO). IMO regulates the entire warning service, with regard to what irregularities or incidents should be reported, the type of warnings and the formulation of the warnings.

The World-Wide Navigational Warning Service (WWNWS) includes:

NAVAREA warning, SafetyNet on satellite (INMARSAT).
Coastal Warning, NAVTEX 518 KHz and by telephony.
Local Warning, NAVTEX 490 KHz and by telephony.

The responsibility for distributing information on conditions that are of significance to safe navigation to mariners is based on the Plan for the worldwide navigational warning system, published by the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO). This plan has been ratified by Norway, and in 1979 the Norwegian Coastal Administration was assigned responsibility as the national coordinator of navigational warnings.