Aids to Navigation GLA 2015 Review: Mariner Input Sought

The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) will be undertaking a review of Aids to Navigation provision around the coasts of Ireland and Great Britain during 2014.

The GLA consider good quality user input to be an essential component of this review.  Marine users of Aids to Navigation are invited to contribute to the review by commenting on:

• The usefulness and usability of existing aids to navigation provided by the GLAs
• Any proposed requirement for the provision of additional aids to navigation
• The mix of aids to navigation provided including lighthouses, buoys, beacons, Racons, AIS AtoN and Differential GPS
• The benefit to users of providing additional data from AtoN such as meteorological data
• The effectiveness of systems used to promulgate information relating to aids to navigation
• Any other aids to navigation related issues

The Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention requires the provision of “such aids to navigation as the volume of traffic justifies and the degree of risk requires”. The 2015 review will consider all AtoN provided by the GLA on the coasts of Ireland and Great Britain both individually and as AtoN systems. It will be published in 2015 and will inform the GLAs’ work plans for the following 5 year period.

The General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) consist of Trinity House (England & Wales), Northern Lighthouse Board (Scotland) and the Commissioners of Irish Lights (Ireland). It is responsible for the superintendence and management of local aids to navigation provided by Local Lighthouse Authorities (LLA).