Navigation Safety Regulations

65 (1) Every vessel of 150 gross tonnage or more that is carrying more than 12 passengers and engaged on an international voyage shall be fitted with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) Class A.

(2) Every vessel, other than a fishing vessel, of 300 gross tonnage or more that is engaged on an international voyage shall be fitted with an AIS Class A.

(3) Every vessel, other than a fishing vessel, of 500 gross tonnage or more that is not engaged on an international voyage shall be fitted with an AIS Class A.

(4) Every vessel, other than a vessel subject to subsections (1) to (3), that is engaged on a voyage other than a sheltered waters voyage shall be fitted with an AIS Class A that meets the standards specified at item 15 of Schedule 1 or an AIS Class B if

• (a) the vessel is certified to carry more than 12 passengers; or

• (b) the vessel is eight metres or more in length and is carrying passengers.

(5) The AIS shall

• (a) automatically provide information, including the vessel’s identity, type, position, course, speed and other safety-related information, to appropriately equipped shore stations, other vessels and aircraft;

• (b) automatically receive such information from similarly fitted vessels;

• (c) monitor and track vessels; and

• (d) exchange data with shore-based facilities.

(6) The AIS Class A shall be operated taking into account the annex to IMO Resolution A.917(22), Guidelines for the Onboard Operational Use of Shipborne Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).

(7) The AIS Class B shall meet one of the following standards of the International Electrotechnical Commission:

• (a) IEC 62287-1: Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems — Class B shipborne equipment of the automatic identification system (AIS) — Part 1: Carrier-sense time division multiple access (CSTDMA) techniques; or

• (b) IEC 62287-2: Maritime navigation and radiocommunication equipment and systems — Class B shipborne equipment of the automatic identification system (AIS) — Part 2: Self-organising time division multiple access (SOTDMA) techniques.

(8) Every vessel fitted with an AIS shall maintain it in operation at all times.

(9) Subsections (5) and (8) do not apply

• (a) where international agreements, rules or standards provide for the protection of navigational information; or

• (b) in respect of vessels, other than vessels operated for a commercial purpose, owned or operated by Her Majesty in right of Canada or by a foreign government that is a party to the Safety Convention.

(10) For the purposes of subsection (4), sheltered waters voyage has the same meaning as in section 1 of the Vessel Certificates Regulations.

(11) For the purposes of section 51 and paragraph 52(1)(a), an AIS Class B is not considered to be equipment referred to in this section.