Technical Circular No: 013/2023

Subject : Procedure for Responding to DSC Distress Alerts by Ships.

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1. The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), at its 106th session, approved the revised Procedure for responding to DSC distress alerts by ships vide Circular MSC.1/Circ. 1657, superseding COMSAR/Circ.25

2. The circular contains procedure to be followed by radio personnel on board ships when responding to VHF, MF and HF distress alerts, in accordance with chapter IV of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974.

3. Further, the MSC approved the revised Guidance on distress alerts, as set out in the annex to Circular, MSC.1/Circ. 1658, superseding COMSAR/Circ.45.

4. Both the above circulars become effective on 1 January 2024.

5. Ship Owners/ Managers and Masters of vessels are advised to be guided by the attached Circulars and to display the diagrams in the annex of the circulars on ships' bridges as A4 size posters. 

Enclosure:

Disclaimer:

This Technical Circular and the material contained in it is provided only for the purpose of supplying current information to the reader and not as an advice to be relied upon by any person. While we have taken utmost care to be as factual as possible, readers/ users are advised to verify the exact text and content of the Regulation from the original source/ issuing Authority. 

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