Effective date: October 31, 2023
From: Harbour Master’s office
To ensure the efficiency and safety of marine operations at the port, all vessels that belong to Tier 1 category must provide a 96-hour advance notice of their arrival. This notice must be submitted through the Pacific Gateway Portal, which is an online platform for managing port activities.
Purpose
The 96-hour vessel pre-arrival reporting is a mandatory requirement for all Tier 1 vessels entering Port of Vancouver including Southern Gulf Islands anchorages. The pre-arrival reporting benefits the port authority and port users by enabling them to optimize traffic flow and utilization of common infrastructure such as anchorages. By having the advance notice of arrival of vessels, the port authority can:
- Better understand the operational needs and requirements of port users, such as anchorage requests, length of stay, services required, and berth allocation
- Promote coordination, collaboration, and information sharing among port users to optimize the use and allocation of resources, reduce costs, and improve service quality
- Strengthen the resilience of the port and supply chains to better manage disruptions, such as weather events, supply chain disruption, or security incidents
Port users and stakeholders can monitor information provided via NOA through a daily update report providing anchorage utilization rates at the Port of Vancouver and in the South Coast region as well as a summary of project anchorage demand and ship arrivals at port terminals. The daily anchorage utilization and demand summary is posted here.
Application
All Tier 1 vessels, as defined in the Port Information Guide, are required to submit a NOA form via the Pacific Gateway Portal at least 96 hours before anticipated arrival* to the Port of Vancouver.
To ensure accurate scheduling and traffic management, those that submit a NOA are required to update:
- ETA changes of 4 hours or more
- Port call details that may impact the allocation of port services, such as direct to berth status
Data Governance
The port authority will adhere to the following procedures in respect of vessel arrival information:
- Data collection: The vessel master, agent or operator will provide vessel arrival information through the Pacific Gateway Portal in a timely and accurate manner. The information requested by the port authority will be relevant and necessary for the purpose of facilitating marine operations and providing port services.
- Data storage: Vessel arrival information will be stored in secure port authority databases or systems that have appropriate safeguards to prevent unauthorized access, modification, deletion, or disclosure. The data will be retained only as long as it is needed for the purposes for which it is collected or as required by law. The data will be disposed of in a secure manner when it is no longer needed.
- Data access: Vessel arrival information will be accessed only by authorized port authority personnel who have a legitimate need to know and a clear role and responsibility in relation to the data. The data will be accessed only for the purposes for which it is collected or as permitted by law. The data will be accessed in a manner that minimizes the risk of compromising its integrity, confidentiality, or availability.
- Data sharing: Vessel arrival information will be shared only with the authorized parties who have a legitimate interest or a legal obligation to receive the data. For example, Transport Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Pacific Pilotage Authority. The data will be shared with the partner agencies or their systems in a format that preserves its quality and usefulness.
- Data use: Vessel arrival information will be used in a manner that is consistent with the principles of fairness, transparency accountability, and proportionality. The data will be used to support evidence-based decision making, enhancing efficiency, optimizing port performance, measurement and developing policies and procedures for continuous improvement.
In case of any questions or clarifications, please reach out to our 24/7 Operations Centre at 604-665- 9086 or [email protected]
*Tier 1 vessels means any of the following vessels:
- All piloted vessels and tug and barge combinations when piloted, regardless of tonnage.
- All non-piloted tug and barge combinations with a barge of 10,000 tonnes or more carrying capacity.
- All non-piloted vessels including barges and articulated tugs and barges (ATBs) when in product.
*Anticipated arrival is ETA Pilot Station for piloted vessels or ETA Canadian waters for non-piloted vessel.