Slide 1

Using AIS to inform Marine Spatial Planning

and marine industries
Shetland Island’s Marine Spatial Plan
Richard L. Shelmerdine and Rachel J. Shucksmith The Shetland Island’s Marine Spatial Plan (SMSP) was developed by the
Marine Scientist Marine Spatial Planning Manager NAFC Marine Centre through funding from Marine Scotland. It is one of
AIS background NAFC Marine Centre, NAFC Marine Centre, the most advanced Marine Spatial Plans in Europe with the 4 th edition
Shetland, ZE1 0UN Shetland, ZE1 0UN
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) require all marine vessels over launched in 2014.
richard.shelmerdine@uhi.ac.uk rachel.shucksmith@uhi.ac.uk
300 gross tonnage on an international voyage, all cargo vessels greater than Shetland Islands Council will adopt the fourth edition of the SMSP (Fig 3)
500 gt, and all passenger vessels irrespective of size to be fitted with an as ‘Supplementary Guidance’ to the emerging Shetland Local
Automatic Identification System (AIS)1. AIS is a shipboard transponder which Development Plan in 2014. The Shetland Local Development Plan,
automatically transmits vessel information, through VHF, as a ship to ship or together with any Supplementary Guidance, sets out the policies and
ship to shore signal. Transmitted data includes information on the vessel criteria against which planning applications and works licenses submitted
identity (mmsi number), position, speed, course, vessel type, dimensions, and in Shetland will be considered.
other information as outlined by Ou and Zhu2. The SMSP provides an overarching policy framework to guide marine
An increasing number of marine users have recognized the benefits of having development and activity out to 12 nautical miles. It incorporates
an AIS system fitted aboard their vessels which has resulted in a large authoritative spatial data on the marine environment, its various uses, and
quantity of available vessel data ranging from large oil tankers to pleasure assets.
craft and sailing ships. The European Commission has additionally stated The policies and maps in the SMSP
that all fishing vessels greater than 15 m in length must be equipped with an will be material considerations in
AIS system by 31st May 20143. decision-making on individual
marine planning applications and
works licenses within Shetland’s
coastal and marine waters. It is
hoped the SMSP will also provide a
useful resource for all users of the
Figure 1. Point data received during 2013 from all vessels marine environment including
using AIS. developers, planners and regulators.

Methodology
Since December 2012, the NAFC Marine Centre has collated and processed
vessel information, obtained from vessel AIS data feeds. All signals were
obtained from a single antenna positioned in central mainland Shetland. Data
was downloaded as a text file, processed, quality controlled, and combined
with a bespoke vessel database before further processing and analysis in
ArcGIS. The primary output in GIS was a point dataset (Fig 1). Additional
information, derived from Fig 1, included vessel tracks (Fig 2), density Figure 3. SMSP front cover
mapping (Slide 2), interpolations, and connectivity maps (Slides 2 and 3).
References
1 Anon. (2012); SOLAS Chapter V Safety of Navigation. International Maritime Organisation (IMO). p. 29.
Figure 2. Vessel tracks, derived from point data, for all vessel 2 Ou Z, Zhu J. (2008); AIS database powered by GIS technology for maritime safety and security. Journal
of Navigation 61: 655-65.
signals received during 2013.
3 The EU system for fisheries controls. Accessed on 5th July 2014 from:
http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/control/technologies/index_en.htm
 Slide 2
Density by vessel type
Cargo National scale
Lerwick, on Shetland’s east coast, had the highest density
of cargo traffic entering the harbour from the south
entrance. A high density of traffic was also noted around Vessel types, tracks, and densities
Scalloway, Shetland’s west coast. Distinct cargo routes When examined by vessel type entering the 12 nm
were identified passing the Islands to the northeast, limit during 2013 (Fig 6), 29% were related to the oil
southwest, and west. industry (both oil related vessels and tankers),
followed by fishing (27%), cargo (20%), and pleasure
(12%). Vessel tracks (Fig 4) were derived from point
Fisheries data enabling density maps (Fig 5) to be created for
all traffic and for each vessel category type.
High densities of fishing vessels display the fishing
grounds, common routes to the grounds, and entry to the
main harbours of Lerwick and Scalloway. Traditionally
VMS has been used to map fishing grounds but AIS
provides a higher resolution output, includes international
vessels, has no ownership restrictions, and provides
information on vessel transit routes.

Figure 4. Vessel track information.

Oil related vessels Oil related
Fishing
Cargo
A high density of traffic was recorded through the north Pleasure
Passenger

entrance to Lerwick harbour as well as Scalloway in the Harbours

Research

west. Vessels using Lerwick were found to access oil Other

Law and rescue

fields, displayed as high offshore densities, on both sides

of Shetland.

Oil/chemical tankers Figure 6. Vessel type for all vessels found within 12
nm of Shetland.
The highest tanker densities were located at Sullom Voe
and the approach to Sullom in the north, Lerwick harbour,
and a known anchorage to the south of Lerwick harbour.
Much of the traffic remained outside the 12 nm limit
although a clear transit route was visible between Fair Isle
and the southern tip of Shetland mainland.

Passenger
This category includes both ferries and seasonal cruise
liners. The high densities are mostly related to inter-
island ferries showing their most frequent path but also
the outer limits for each route. This information was used
to refine ferry routes within the SMSP. Figure 7. The offshore supply ship Fugro Symphony
Figure 5. Density maps derived from vessel track information. leaving Scalloway harbour.

Last country visited
Cargo
International scale
The majority of cargo vessels originated
from Europe with the greatest number
originating from Germany (n=133
vessels) and Denmark (n=120).
Countries as far afield as UAE, north
Africa, and USA were also connected.
Fisheries
The majority of fishing vessels’ last port
was from UK. Last countries visited
included Norway (n=52), Denmark
(n=24), Ireland (n=14), and Iceland
(n=2).
Oil related vessels
Figure 7. Last country visited before entering the 12 nm limit
around Shetland. Vessels coming within 1 nm of Shetland
had a recorded last country visited of
Norway (n=68), Netherlands (n=50),
Faroe (n=6), and USA (n=2). Panama
was recorded 41 times for vessels
coming within 6 nm.
Oil/chemical tankers
Outside UK, Netherlands had the most
recorded last port calls of 188 followed
by Germany (n=53) and Poland (n=38).
Most visits originated around mainland
Europe but also Faroe (n=4), Iceland
(n=2), North Antilles (n=3), and USA
(n=9).
Passenger
With the exception of one vessel
originating from Puerto Rico and six from
Faroe, the last country visited by
passenger vessels were located around
Figure 8. Destinations of vessels leaving the 12 nm limit the North Sea with seven vessels having
around Shetland. a recorded last port in Norway.
Slide 3
Vessel origins and destinations
Vessels entering the 12 nm limit around Shetland, over one year,
originated from 152 ports in 26 different countries around the World
(Fig 7). Countries were mostly centred around the North Sea but
did span as far as United Arab Emirates and Puerto Rico. Of the
1212 different vessels recorded within 12 nm of Shetland, 231
usable destinations were recorded in 23 different countries around
the World (Fig 8). The majority of destinations were located within
Great Britain but were also spread as far as Panama and Guyana
in South America, and Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire in west Africa.
Risk mapping
As part of the biosecurity plan for Shetland, risk modelling was
carried out to identify areas of relative risk of the introduction of
invasive non-native species (INNS). Modelling was based on
potential vectors (hull biofouling and ballast water exchange) and
stepping stones (e.g. marine renewables, aquaculture sites, shore
access points), allowing targeted monitoring for INNS. Vessel
information, through AIS,
was essential for providing
vector information by
identifying where shipping
was coming from (Fig 7),
going to (Fig 8), and
combined with vessel type
information (Slide 2). The
combined output was then
mapped for Shetland as a
relative risk map (Fig 9).
Figure 9. Relative risk map.