Separation Zones

General Information

North Sea

Baltic Sea

Clyde Marine Region

Adriatic Sea

Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Separation Zones

Layer Info
Category	Activities
Sub-category	Shipping

Description

Separation zones refer to the IMO's "traffic separation scheme", which intends to establish routing measures in the sea’s most busy areas to increase shipping safety.

Traffic routing measures include different types of shipping routes and separation zones. This page is about the separation zones; these include "separation zones", "precautionary areas", and "areas to be avoided".

Source: IMO, accessed on 2022/04/26.

MSP Challenge

This puts no pressure on the ecosystem.

Return to shipping.

This layer is only present in the Digitwin North Sea Edition. For the North Sea refer to the No Shipping Zones page.

Types

• Separation Zones

"a zone or line separating traffic lanes in which ships are proceeding in opposite or nearly opposite directions; or separating a traffic lane from the adjacent sea area; or separating traffic lanes designated for particular classes of ship proceeding in the same direction", from IMO, accessed on 2022/04/26.

• Special Areas

An official definition of "special zones" was not found. However, special zones seem to be located on the edge of shipping lanes that have different directions, thus suggesting that navigation in these zones needs extra attention to avoid incidents.

• Areas to be Avoided

"an area within defined limits in which either navigation is particularly hazardous or it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties and which should be avoided by all ships, or by certain classes of ships", from IMO, accessed on 2022/04/26.

• Inshore Traffic Zone

"an area within defined limits where ships must navigate with particular caution and within which the direction of flow of traffic may be recommended", from IMO, accessed on 2022/04/26.

Metadata

Data Source

Rijkswaterstaat

Original Title

"verkeersscheidingsstelsel"

Description

Not available.

Creation Date

Not available. Layer retrieved on 2025/01.

Methodology

Reprojected the geodata layer to Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area (EPSG:3035).

Sand Extraction Edition

The data layer for shipping separation zones is identical to that used in the original North Sea Digital Twin Edition of the MSP Challenge.

Not applicable.

This layer is not present in the Baltic Sea Edition.

Not applicable.

This layer is not present in the Clyde Marine Region Edition.

In the Adriatic Sea, there are two different layers representing the separation zones: "areas to be avoided" and "precautionary areas".

Types

• Passenger
• Tanker
• Cargo
• Others

Metadata

Data Source

Portodimare

Original Title

"IMO - Traffic regulation zones: areas to be avoided" and "IMO - Traffic regulation zones: Precautionary areas".

Description

Abstracts provided at the source (Portodimare, accessed on 2022/04/26):

IMO - Traffic regulation zones: areas to be avoided

"Ships routeing systems and traffic separation schemes that have been approved by International Maritime Organization (IMO). An Area to be Avoided (ATBA) is an area within defined limits that should be avoided by all ships or certain classes of ships, in which navigation is Particularly hazardous or in which it is exceptionally important to avoid casualties. In general, ATBAs should be established only in places where: inadequate survey or insufficient provision of aids to navigation may lead to danger of stranding; where local knowledge is considered essential for safe passage; where there is the possibility that unacceptable damage to the environment could result from a casualty; or where there might be hazard to a vital aid to navigation."

IMO - Traffic regulation zones: Precautionary areas

"Ships routeing systems and traffic separation schemes that have been approved by International Maritime Organization (IMO). A Precautionary Area

is a “routeing measure comprising an area within defined limits where ships must navigate with particular caution and within which the direction of traffic flow may be recommended.”"

Creation Date

2019/12/03

Methodology

Integrated as provided by the project partner.

Not applicable.

This layer is not present in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.