TNAG-0887-FCO40-1097-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 103

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(b) The selection of the routes and the initiation of action with regard to them, and the delineation of what constitutes converging areas, is left to the responsibility of the shipping companies concerned. The Contracting Governments will assist the companies, when requested to do so, by placing at their disposal any information bearing on the routes which may be in the possession of the Governments.

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(c) The Contracting Governments undertake to impose on the companies the obligations to give public notice of the regular routes which they propose their ships should follow, and of any changes made in these routes. They will also use their influence to induce the owners of all passenger ships crossing the Atlantic to follow the recognised routes, and will do everything in their power to ensure adherence to such routes in the converging areas by all ships, so far as circumstances will permit. They will also induce the owners of all ships crossing the Atlantić bound to or from ports of the United States or Canada via the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to avoid, as far as practicable, the fishing banks of Newfoundland north of latitude 43 N. during the fishing season, and to pass outside regions known or believed to be endangered by ice.

(d) The Government managing the ice patrol service is requested to report to the Administration concerned any passenger ship which is observed not to be on any regular, recognised or advertised route and any ship which crosses the above mentioned fishing banks during the fishing season, or which when proceeding to or from ports of the United States or Canada passes through regions known or belieyed to be endangered by ice.

Regulation 9

Misuse of Distress Signals

The use of an international distress signal, except for the purpose of indicating that a ship or aircraft is in distress, and the use of any signal which may be confused with an international distress signal, are prohibited on every ship or aireraft-

Regulation 10.

Distress Messages-Obligations and Procedures

(a) The master of a ship at sea, on receiving a signal from any source that a ship or aircraft or survival craft thereof is in distress, is bound to proceed with all speed to the assistance of the persons in distress informing them if possible that he is doing so. If he is unable or, in the special circumstances of the case, considers it unreasonable or unnecessary to proceed to their assistance, he must enter in the logbook the reason for failing to proceed to the assistance of the persons in distress.

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