The theme of this issue is ‘Legal Aspects’ and contains many different views and insights into this interesting topic, from boundary determination to liability on products.
The knowledge of source material (e.g. depths and low water lines) and their charting capabilities, make HOs the logical choice in the process of charting and administering the various boundaries of a nation (e.g. UNCLOS boundaries, fishing limits and areas, military zones etc.). However, the cartographer/HO can find at least two reasons to be reluctant to show boundaries on nautical charts:
- Charting is seen as the ‘art of omitting’ data which is unnecessary for the safety of navigation
- It is difficult and time-consuming work to make all information univocal.
Information, which is may not be comparable or even in contradiction, is mostly administered at different ministry’s by people lacking the necessary geological knowledge. Trying to get things right, and published and properly administered, can be seen as a seizure of power by the HO. However, here is a chance for HOs to come out of their isolation and become part of, or even take the lead, in defining a nation's geospatial data infrastructure.
ENC was once advertised as ‘Every Navigator's Choice’. As ECS systems are now more popular than full ECDIS systems, I see that the product liability taken by most HOs for their publications will be used increasingly as an advertising argument for ENCs. Private manufacturers of chart data, whose data is mostly based on the same official chart data, will see this liability which is eventually paid for by the taxpayers, as false competition. There are interesting legal aspects on the disclaimers used by the private chart manufacturer and on the (sometimes implicit) disclaimers by HOs: including ‘will it hold in court’. One thing is for sure: both are reluctant to pay. The article by Lars Buhl: ‘Liability in Charting’ is one of the few cases I know where a HO materialises its liability.
Changes in the Hydro international team: The new Directing Committee of the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) took up their post in September, therefore we say goodbye to the ‘old’ President of the IHB, Rear Admiral G. Angrisano and thank him heartily for the work and support he gave to Hydro international as Editorial Advisory Board (EAB) member. The ‘new’ President of the IHB, Rear Admiral Alexandros Maratos, accepted our invitation to become his successor as member of the EAB.
Regrettably, we also have to say goodbye to Mr Tony O’Connor (Dominion Hydrographer of Canada) after serving one and a half years as EAB member. He will leave the hydrographic arena for a similar period to study French. We certainly hope that he will rejoin us in 2004. Our regional correspondent in the US, Jack Wallace, who has been with us from the beginning, has also left.
We sincerely and gratefully thank those who have left for the work they have put in to Hydro International.
Finally, from now on you can also find in the ‘From the National Societies’ section news from the societies of Russia and South Africa.
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