Non-Profit Organization
Pacific Maritime Management Services (PacMMS) provides information to increase the safety and efficiency of vessel arrivals to North Pacific coastal ports and reduce environmental impacts.
Participants
Ports, vessels, pilots, tugs, agents, facilities, labor, Coast Guard and other state and federal agencies all have a role in supporting the Blue Economy. PacMMS focuses on tracking and communicating with major commercial vessels calling on Pacific ports and providing information to all parties to aid safe, efficient and environmentally sound maritime operations.
Efficiencies And Standards Of Care
As maritime traffic increases along the Pacific Coast and Alaska the potential for adverse impacts including of port congestion, inefficient operations, marine casualties, and environmental harm are elevated. PacMMS focuses on implementing sea traffic management and aiding adherence to Standards of Care, measures that collectively increase efficiencies, maritime safety and mitigate environmental impacts.
Background
New technologies have provided capabilities to increase the efficiency and safety of maritime operations. PacMMS was developed by the Marine Exchange of Alaska to apply the value of data provided by emerging technologies and serve as an honest broker of information to vessels and port communities. In providing vessels’ dynamic updated optimal port arrival times vessels are able to sail at fuel efficient speeds and mitigate emissions. Vessels’ coordinated port arrivals reduces vessel traffic density in approaches to ports and anchorages in turn reducing the risk of collisions and emissions in ports. The loss of vessels’ propulsion, fires, collisions, sinkings, groundings and other marine casualties can lead to substantial environmental harm and disruption of efficient maritime trade. The consequences arising from casualties involving vessels offshore where response resources are limited, can be mitigated by early detection and notification to appropriate responders. PacMMS’s active monitoring of vessels, timely detection of vessels in distress and aiding vessels’ adherence to voluntary risk mitigating measures collectively help prevent and mitigate the impacts of marine casualties.
24/7 Operation
The three core products of the PacMMS are “Information, Time and Capabilities”. The 24/7 hour operations centers that support PacMMS identify and provide information on enhancing the efficiency of maritime operations and reduce the consequences of loss of propulsion or steering, fires and other casualties. Close monitoring of vessels can detect elevated risk situations and pass that information on to appropriate parties that can provide assistance. In these instances, timely detection and notification plays a major role in the success of a response. Similarly, continuous tracking the locations of vessels able to offer assistance facilitates more timely response mitigating the potential for loss of life, property and environmental harm. PacMMS maintains information on the capabilities of vessels capable of assisting a stricken vessel as well as their locations and 24 hour contact information.
PacMMS offshore routing Standards of Care also provides time for elevated risk events such as loss of propulsion or other incidents to be addressed before the vessel drifts onto a lee shore and grounds. A vessel incurring a loss of power 25 or 50 miles offshore provides more time for the crew and outside help to effect repairs or arrest the vessel’s drift.
