Maritime zone tracking means keeping an eye on and recording ship movement within certain ocean areas. This helps you manage shipping activities, improve safety, and ensure regulatory compliance.
Maritime trade has quadrupled over the past 40 years, according to the International Chamber of Shipping. With this increase, ports and shipping companies must have access to the right data to manage the rising complexity of maritime trade.
But, with so much data available, how do you pinpoint what truly matters?
One smart approach is to streamline data collection by focusing on particular maritime zones. This more simplified process helps you get a solid grip on managing congestion, transportation, and compliance.
With this in mind, Pole Star Global’s new Zone and Notification Service is here to make your life easier:
- Gain the data you need to keep an eye on what’s happening in your selected zones, ports, or anchorage areas with almost real-time vessel tracking.
- Create detailed reports for every tracked vessel as it enters and exits zones, ports, and anchorage areas with Pole Star’s exclusive and cutting-edge zone database.
- Receive event notifications that integrate seamlessly with your systems, with Pole Star’s Notification API feature.
Keep reading to discover how maritime zone tracking with Pole Star Global can revolutionise your operations, saving you time and money while reducing safety and compliance risks.
Plus, learn what maritime zone tracking is. Understand the key shipping zones, and explain why real-time vessel monitoring in these areas is crucial. Find out how Pole Star’s new Zone and Notification Service will give you the insights you need to supercharge your operations and achieve unprecedented optimisation.
Maritime Zone Tracking enables key stakeholders within the shipping industry to gain a complete view of all vessels as they enter and leave zones, ports, and anchorage areas (maritime zones).
Having this information at your fingertips is essential – it helps you keep track of vessel traffic and tackle safety, security, and compliance issues effectively. A deeper dive into how maritime zone tracking achieves this is discussed below for key zones, ports, and anchorage areas.
Discover the advantages of maritime zone tracking for your operations! Fill out the form below to learn more about Pole Star Global’s innovative Zone Tracking and Notification service, and see how it can streamline your processes for improved compliance and operational efficiency.
Maritime zones are parts of the ocean set aside for specific purposes according to international law. These areas include territorial waters, exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and international waters. Each zone has its own rules for activities like fishing, shipping, and extracting resources.
But these maritime zones of interest can be extended to include ports and anchorage areas, also of interest to key stakeholders. These key shipping zones are defined further below.
Key Shipping Zones: Official Maritime Zones
As mentioned in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, the official maritime zones include the following:
- Internal Waters: These are waters within the boundary called the “baseline,” which is the low-water line along the coast. It includes areas like rivers and bays, where the coastal state has complete control.
- Territorial Sea: The coastal state controls everything within 12 nautical miles (about 13.8 miles or 22.2 kilometres) from the shore. This includes not just the water, but also the air above and the seabed below.
- Contiguous Zone: This zone goes 12 nautical miles beyond the territorial sea, making it 24 nautical miles (about 27.6 miles or 44.4 kilometres) from the coast in total. In this area, the state manages the flow of goods coming in and out of the country, immigration, and pollution.
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): Reaching up to 200 nautical miles (about 2306 miles or 3704 kilometres) from the baseline, the coastal state has special rights to explore and use marine resources, like fishing and energy production.
- Continental Shelf: This area includes not just the sea surface but also the seabed and the ground beneath it. The area stretches out to either the edge of the continental shelf (which is the underwater extension of the land) or up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline of the coast. This means that the coastal state has the right to explore and use the resources in this vast area, either to the natural edge of the continental shelf or up to that 200 nautical mile limit.
- High Seas: These are the areas beyond any state’s EEZ, open to all countries for activities like fishing, navigation, and scientific research. Entities must operate under international rules.
- International Seabed Area (The Area): This is the ocean floor beyond national borders, where resources are managed by the International Seabed Authority for the benefit of all humanity.
Key Shipping Zones: Ports and Port Time Tracking
The port region refers to the area within and around a port where key activities take place, like loading and unloading cargo, docking vessels, and storing goods.
Tracking vessels in this region is crucial for managing port time effectively.
That is, port time tracking is all about monitoring how long a vessel stays in the port, from when it arrives to when it leaves. This includes tracking time spent at the dock for loading or unloading cargo, waiting for berth availability, undergoing maintenance, or dealing with customs and other procedures.
Tracking vessel movement provides real-time updates on these activities, helping to optimise port operations, improve scheduling, cut costs, and boost overall efficiency for both shipping companies and port authorities.
Specifically, here’s how vessel tracking makes a difference:
- Arrival and Departure Logs: By tracking a vessel’s position, ports can accurately log when a ship arrives and when it leaves, helping to calculate the total time spent in the port.
- Berthing and Docking Times: Tracking systems can monitor the time a vessel spends at the dock, plus when it starts unloading or loading cargo.
- Operational Efficiency: Continuous tracking helps identify delays or inefficiencies, such as waiting for a berth, and allows ports to adjust schedules and resources accordingly.
- Cost Management: Accurate tracking data helps in calculating port fees and operational costs based on the actual time a vessel spends in the port.
Key Shipping Zones: Anchorage Areas
Anchorage areas are special spots in a port or harbour where ships can safely drop anchor. These zones are set up to give ships a secure place to stay when they’re not in use or waiting to dock.
When port authorities keep track of where each vessel is, they can manage these areas better. This means avoiding overcrowding and making sure ships are well-spaced.
Plus, tracking facilitates scheduling by allowing ports to coordinate when ships arrive and leave, cutting down on waiting times and making the whole process run smoother.
Putting the above together, the key reasons as to why maritime zone tracking is important are defined.
- Monitor Territorial Waters: Keeping an eye on vessel movements within selected territorial waters is vital for national security. By tracking ships, you can spot any unauthorised activity, like illegal fishing or smuggling, and take action to protect your operations.
- Manage Port Traffic and Congestion: Tracking vessels helps you manage ship arrivals and departures at ports. This reduces congestion and cuts down on waiting times for effective port management. This not only speeds up operations but also minimises delays and operational costs.
- Identify Bunkering Opportunities: Tracking where vessels are located can help pinpoint the best spots for refuelling. By identifying these bunkering opportunities, you can optimise your refuelling schedule.
- Monitor Fishing or Maritime Protected Areas: Protecting marine ecosystems is critical. Tracking vessel activities in fishing zones and protected areas helps prevent overfishing and illegal activities, ensuring that these vital marine environments are preserved and managed responsibly.
- Manage Fleet Voyage Compliance: Ensure your fleet adheres to voyage plans and regulatory requirements by tracking compliance in real-time.
- Monitor Wind Farm Traffic: Safeguard operations by tracking vessel traffic in and around wind farms, ensuring safe and efficient navigation in these areas.
Pole Star Global’s new zone and notification feature takes maritime zone tracking to the next level. This feature is designed to give you comprehensive global vessel tracking in near real-time.
Generate reports for all vessels when they enter selected zones, ports, and anchorage areas using Pole Star’s unparalleled proprietary zone database.
Plus, Pole Star is excited to announce the platform’s new Notification API feature. Receive event notifications that integrate directly with your systems, empowering you with timely and actionable updates. You have the flexibility to create and manage your notification subscriptions and choose where they are sent.
Key Features:
- Near Real-Time Data: Although AIS positions require a 45-minute buffer for precise signal processing, you’ll still access near real-time updates on ship entry and exit events.
- Proprietary Zone Database: Pole Star Global has developed a comprehensive new database, encompassing e-zones, waterways, war zones, over 7,000 ports, and 4,000 anchorage areas.
- Notification API: Get instant event notifications delivered straight to your system.
- Custom Zones: Create and oversee custom zones tailored to your specific needs.
- Enhanced Security: Access top-tier protection with industry-standard OAuth2 authentication and a new account service for customised access.
- High Performance: Benefit from lightning-fast, sub-second response times for most queries.
- Email Notifications: Receive updates and alerts through webhook integration and/or email notifications.
To find out more about this feature and how it can benefit your operations, please contact a member of the Pole Star Global team. Pole Star’s knowledgeable and friendly staff will be more than happy to assist you with setting up this feature, providing a detailed walkthrough, and answering any questions you may have. Click here to get in touch today.