SMALL CRAFT owners around the Irish coast have been urged to install a new electronic surveillance system for safety reasons by Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey.
An automatic information system (AIS) has been commissioned by the Irish Coast Guard which allows rescue craft, helicopters and shore stations to transmit and receive information on the identity, position, course and speed of vessels.
The information is broadcast over VHF radio through one of 16 AIS base stations around the coast, and can be picked up by vessels fitted with compatible equipment.
Use of the the system is compulsory on ships of more than 300 gross tonnes, but is optional for smaller craft.
Craft fitted with the device are "electronically visible" to commercial traffic in locations where there is poor visibility, according to the Irish Coast Guard.
Missing or overdue vessels fitted with the equipment should also be easier to find, according to the Irish Coast Guard.
In a related development, the Irish Coast Guard and Commissioners of Irish Lights are signing an agreement this week which allows Irish Coast Guard rescue helicopters to use lighthouse helicopter pads and refuelling facilities in Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Blacksod, Co Mayo.
The Irish Lights vessel Granuaile will also be available for use in search-and-rescue operations and for salvage and pollution response actions.
AIS transponders may also be fitted to navigation buoys as part of the agreement.
The Commissioners of Irish Lights have been involved in many search-and-rescue missions with Irish Coast Guard personnel.