Amendments to the SOLAS Convention subject to mandatory reporting of containers lost at sea have been adopted by Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO, during the 108th session (MSC 108) which took place on 15th – 24th May, 2024.
The amended regulations are expected to enter into force on 1st January, 2026.
While a general obligation for Masters of containerships to report containers lost overboard is already a requirement under Chapter V of the SOLAS Convention, the amendment will introduce a standardised procedure for carrying out this obligation. In particular, the reporting procedure assumes that Master of a ship involved in the loss of containers must immediately and thoroughly report the specified details to the nearest coastal state, the vessel’s flag and nearby ships. The same obligation will be imposed on Masters who observe containers drifting at sea.
If you have any questions on issues relating to this matter or other legal aspects of container shipping, please contact Piotr Porzycki (pporzycki@cmwlegal.pl).