Maritime Administration and Marine Safety Law (2002)

This Law regulates maritime administration and marine safety. Its purpose is to prescribe the State administration institutional system for maritime matters and to ensure the implementation of and compliance with the requirements of treaties and standards, adopted in the field of maritime safety and security, binding on Latvia in order to ensure safety of navigation and ships and security of ports and port facilities, to prevent environmental pollution from ships and to make maritime traffic more efficient. Unless otherwise provided for therein this Law shall be applied to all vessels registered in the Latvian Ship Register irrespective of their location, foreign flag ships, located in waters under the jurisdiction of the Republic of Latvia, ports and port facilities, and all natural and legal persons, as well as other legal subjects associated with maritime safety that must be guaranteed in conformity with requirements of international agreements and includes the safety of personnel, cargo, navigation and ships. This Law shall not apply to the ships of the National Armed Forces and personnel thereof, unless otherwise provided for in this Law, as well as to the warships of other states and personnel thereof. The Law further provides for maritime administration; ship safety and supervision of ship safety; crew of a ship and labour protection of seafarers; maritime safety and security in ports; navigation regime in Latvian waters; marine casualties and marine incidents; prevention of marine pollution; hydrography; and marine geospatial information.