September 15, 2008

To: Owners / Managers

Please note that with effect from January 1, 2009 all cargo ships, including high-speed craft, passenger ships, including high-speed craft of three hundred (300) gross tons and above and mobile offshore drilling units on international voyages will be required to be Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) compliant. These vessels will be required to automatically transmit their identity, position with date & time at 6 hour intervals. This is based on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopting an amendment to Chaper V Regulation 19-1 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (SOLAS), which introduces new mandatory position reporting obligations for SOLAS ships.

All of the above-mentioned type vessels will be required to conduct LRIT Conformance Testing with the Flag State's recognized testing Applications Service Provider (ASP) so as to determine whether their present communications equipment is compliant or not. To this extent, MAJ has identified two (2) ASPs that have been invited to conduct the Conformance Tests with Jamaican Registered vessels. They are:

• Pole Star Space Applications Limited
• Fulcrum Business Solutions Limited

This letter is to update you on this new development in the Maritime Industry. Letters have already been sent to the relevant ship owners/managers and to the two ASPs mentioned above.

Kindly contact tat should you have any queries either at my e-mail address or my cellular number 1-876-379-7169

Yours faithfully,
MARITIME AUTHORITY OF JAMAICA

HENRY T. TOMLINSON
MARINE INSPECTOR
(MAJ-LRIT MAIN POINT OF CONTACT)