Electronic chart display information systems: operational, policy and legal issues

The potential exists to enhance marine safety through adoption and use of electronic chart display and information systems (ECDIS). The authors highlight issues related to ECDIS and its users. Features discussed are ECDIS technology, legal issues, and operational and training issues. The authors report on the first Canadian seminar devoted to ECDIS, organized by IITOPS (The International Institute for Transportation and Ocean Policy Studies) on behalf of the Marine Advisory Board and the Canadian Hydrographic Service, held in June, 1988 at the Marine Institute in St. John´s, Newfoundland