Coastal state regulation of navigation in adjacent waters - the example of the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef

Australia has established a compulsory pilotage regime for the Torres Strait and Inner Route of the Great Barrier Reef. The introduction of the regime for the Torres Strait was controversial. It was opposed by other countries on the grounds that compulsory pilotage in the strait was contrary to the UNCLOS regime of transit passage through straits used for international navigation. Australia has now submitted a proposal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to extend its mandatory ship reporting system for the Great Barrier Reef to include the southernmost part of the Great Barrier Reef Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA). These developments are illustrative of the trend towards greater coastal State regulation of navigation in adjacent waters, including through the designation of PSSAs.