Are Rostov and Azov seaports?
RF Government plans to transfer estuary river ports Rostov-on-Don and Azov to the category of river ports in order to improve navigation safety and management system. The ports and shipping companies are in preparation to changes while experts differ in opinion on how large those changes are to be.
Why river is to become the sea
If the ports get a new status their management and companies operating within their water area are to face new requirements. The ports of Azov and Rostov will fall under the Merchant Shipping Code and a number of international conventions, which means stricter requirements to transportation safety.
The reform envisages alteration of the port management system. Coordination of merchant shipping in Rostov and Azov, which is today the function of Azov&Don State Basin Department of Waterways and Shipping, will be that of Taganrog Port Administration. So Rostov and Azov are to be branches of Taganrog though Rostov and Azov are to get independent administrative functions in the future.
RosMorPort FSUE branch is to represent state interests. The services of Rostov and Azov harbour masters will be part of Taganrog while the property is to be distributed between its Administration, Azov&Don State Basin Department and RosMorPort.
It is not known yet when the new rules are to come into effect. The ports’ representatives forecast the Decree is to be signed in late 2008 – 2009.
Oleg Gashnikov, Harbour Master of Azov port is sure that the status will be officially changed by the end of the year with the water area limits to be defined within the next months. As Taganrog representative told PortNews IAA the RF Register of Seaports is being amended and is likely to include the ports of Rostov and Azov.
The idea of status alteration was initiated by RosMorRechFlot management as early as in January 2008 when analyzing the causes of accidents which occurred in the Kerch Strait in November 2007. The Ministry of Transport proposed a number of measures aimed at strengthening of control of navigation safety rules compliance.
The first decision was taken in this respect in May 2008 when the RF Government signed a Resolution No 623-р On introduction of amendments into the list of the RF inland waterways approved by the RF Government Decree No 1800-р dated December 19, 2002. According to it, the Don river below the Aksai tributary is considered to be a part of sea water area. However it is the very beginning of the work as to change the status of the ports is necessary to work out a mechanism, to prepare a corresponding government decree and to determine the limits of the ports and their water area.
Evolution rather than revolution
Experts suppose the reform is not just to improve safety but also to provide former river ports with new opportunities for attracting investments. Considering higher tariffs and port charges for vessels calling on seaports as compared with river ports, Rostov and Azov are to have higher revenues. But a number of problems are to arise as well – first of all, river shipping companies operating vessels which are not allowed to enter the sea will encounter new requirements.
Port representatives consider the changes to be quite reasonable but not radical. “The structure of port management is well-ordered while other things will stay almost the same for us in general. The port of Azov has been working in compliance with the norms of sea legislation for 13 years already and it will continue this work within the new organization. No personnel reduction is supposed. When Azov port administration is closed within the nearest months all employees will enter the new structure of Taganrog port,” PortNews IAA learnt from Oleg Gashnikov, Harbour Master of Azov port. The port of Rostov-on-Don rejected to comment on the issue having called it to be unsolved.
Taganrog port representative told PortNews IAA that the change of the port status is a logical step of their “evolution”. “The limits of Azov and Rostov ports were approved as early as in 1929 by the USSR Decree. Within the framework of the reform the borders are being adjusted today. Besides, it will become clear at last what legislation is to regulate the work. The ports used to be torn between the Code of Inland Water Transport and the norms of maritime legislation. These ports will subject to international norms and conventions which is necessary for small river ports to become large international ones,” PortNews IAA learnt in Taganrog.