From 1 September, the Harbour Master’s division of the Port of Rotterdam Authority will effectively enforce in the event of violations of the new regulations of the Port Regulations regarding lashing at sea. This means violators may be booked. Since April, it has been prohibited for all seagoing vessels to lash or release containers and other goods while at sea. Until now, the Port Authority limited itself to providing information.

“This measure is in line with our policy to guarantee safety and order on the harbour waters. Lashing at sea jeopardises the safety of the crew and therefore also the safety on the harbour waters”, according to (government) harbour master René de Vries.

In accordance with the Port Regulations, lashing at the quay in the management area of the Port of Rotterdam is only allowed by crew on ships smaller than 170 metres. Longer ships may only be lashed by licensed lashing companies.

The Port Authority has not issued any details about the booking process. The Public Prosecution Service ultimately determines how high the fine will be for violations.  The adopted changes can be found in the Municipal Gazette 2021 no. 121493 and the latest version of the Port Regulations at overheid.nl.