News

Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (Amver)

The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System is a computer-based voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea.
 
 
“Participation is…vital in the cooperative and humanitarian service which Amver continues to provide selflessly to the world maritime community”. - IMO Secretary General Mitropoulos, 2008.

We at Pole Star are proud to announce that, in addition to being an active supporter of Amver, we will become an integral participant in the Amver system.
 
From May 6th 2008, all vessels registered on our Fleet Management service will be able to automatically report to the Amver system at no cost to the operator or to Amver.
 
There are currently 17,000 vessels enrolled in the Amver network from over 150 countries. At this very moment over 3,200 ships are actively reporting and are available to assist in the search and rescue of their fellow mariners.
 
Amver's success is tied directly to the number of merchant vessels regularly reporting their position. The more ships on their plot, the greater the chance a ship will be identified near the position of a distress.
 
Ships participating in the Amver system incur no additional obligation to respond to a vessel in distress than already exists under International Maritime Law. Before requesting a vessel's assistance Amver will first identify the best vessel to respond and other vessels will be able to continue their voyage.
 
This new feature will be added to  any Pole Star  Fleet Management account seamlessly and will require no additional hardware or software. All  our ship owners will be asked to do is, in  their fleet list, check either the ‘Select All’ button or check the individual vessels you wish to participate in the Amver programme. Reporting to Amver in this way will cost no extra Fleet Management ‘credits’ and, by automating the Amver reports,  ship owners can take the burden of reporting away from your captains as no daily position reporting or sailing plans need to be sent to Amver. 
 
Pole Star has 12,000 vessels currently reporting through 3 key services. We are committed to extending this functionality beyond users of our Fleet Management system, to users of all our systems. Pole Star has developed this service, in cooperation with Amver but at no cost to Amver. We see this partnership as part of our obligation, as a member of  the maritime industry, to work together using the skills and specialities we have, for safer shipping and cleaner seas.
 
Amver usually requests that vessels participating in their system first register basic vessel details on their website before starting their position reporting. This requirement has been relaxed for reporting to Amver via the Pole Star Fleet Management system and position reporting can start straight away. However, operators are requested to register their participating vessels’ details with Amver at the earliest opportunity. See www.Amver.com.
 
All information sent to Amver through Pole Star’s Fleet Management service is kept secure and will be used only in a bona fide maritime emergency.