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Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas

A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (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 !he criteria for the identification of particularly sensitive sea areas and the criteria

for the designation of special areas are not mutually e"clusive In many cases a Particularly

#ensitive #ea Area may be identified within a #pecial Area and vice versa

Particularly sensitive sea areas

Guidelines on designating a $particularly sensitive sea area$ %P##A& are contained in

resolution A'()%)*&Revised guidelines for the identification and designation of Particularly

Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) !hese guidelines include criteria to allow areas to be designated

a P##A if they fulfil a number of criteria+ including, ecological criteria+ such as uniue or rare

ecosystem+ diversity of the ecosystem or vulnerability to degradation by natural events or

human activities. social+ cultural and economic criteria+ such as significance of the area for

recreation or tourism. and scientific and educational criteria+ such as biological research or

historical value

!he provisions of the /nited 0ations Convention on the 1aw of the #ea %/0C1O#&are also

relevant

2hen 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+ strict application of

MA3PO1 discharge and euipment reuirements for ships+ such as oil tan4ers. and

installation of 5essel !raffic #ervices %5!#&

List of adopted PSSAs

!he following P##A# have been designated,

- !he Great 6arrier 3eef+Australia %designated a P##A in 7''8&

- !he #abana-Camag9ey Archipelago in Cuba %7'':&

- Malpelo Island+ Colombia %)88)&

- !he sea around the ;lorida &- 2estern ?uropean 2aters %)88*&

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http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/PSSAs/Documents/UNCLOSandIMO.pdfhttp://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/PSSAs/Documents/UNCLOSandIMO.pdfhttp://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/http://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/http://www.imo.org/OurWork/Environment/PollutionPrevention/PSSAs/Documents/UNCLOSandIMO.pdfhttp://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/http://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/

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Pascu Constantin Grupa I

- ?"tension of the e"isting Great 6arrier 3eef P##A to include the !orres #trait %proposed

by Australia and Papua 0ew Guinea& %)88@&

- Canary Islands+ #pain %)88@&

- !he Galapagos Archipelago+?cuador %)88@&

- !he 6altic #ea area+ =enmar4+ ?stonia+ ;inland+ Germany+ 1atvia+ 1ithuania+ Poland and

#weden %)88@&

- !he Papahnaumo4u4ea Marine 0ational Monument+ /nited #tates %)88:&

- !he #trait of 6onifacio+ ;rance and Italy %)877&

-

!he #aba 6an4+ in the 0orth-eastern Caribbean area of the

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A P##A can be protected by ships routing measures B such as an area to be avoided, an area

within defined limits in which either navigation is particularly hazardous or it is e"ceptionally

important to avoid casualties and which should be avoided by all ships+ or by certain classes

of ships

!he IMO Publication #hips 3outeing includes General provisions on ships routeing+ firstadopted by IMO in 7':>+ and subseuently amended over the years+ which are aimed at

standardizing the design+ development+ charted presentation and use of routeing measures

adopted by IMO

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