1. This paper argues that we have an important window of
opportunity to make marine navigation easier and to reduce
navigational errors, with their attendant toll of accidents, loss of
life, injury and environmental damage. Electronic navigational
technologies are already available or being developed, or are
capable of development, which can be integrated to provide an
accurate, secure and highly cost-effective e-Navigation system, with
potentially global coverage. The same technologies are scalable for
use by larger and smaller vessels. In addition to reducing
navigational errors, these technologies can deliver benefits in areas
such as search and rescue, pollution incident response, national and
international security and the protection of critical marine resources
such as fishing grounds. Commercial benefits potentially include
the capture of advance information on cargo arrival and increased
throughput capacity in congested channels and/or poor visibility
conditions.
