Frequency of Ship Collisions in the Strait of Messina through Regulatory and Environmental Constraints Assessment

The Strait of Messina is a very busy sea area that separates Sicily and the Italian mainland. In respect of environment and for the prevention of human loss, it is fundamental to have an estimate of the possible ship accidents that could occur. In this work, the approach used is the International Association of Lighthouse Authorities Waterways Risk Assessment Program (IWRAP) model. The first part of the paper describes the local and global traffic and the separation scheme in the Strait of Messina. The model input data is obtained from the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) system thanks to the Coast Guard of Messina. The second part concerns calculation of the geometrical collisions (number of collisions in different scenarios) and the causation probability. This analysis is the basis for the discussion of new regulatory constraints due to the future realisation of new piers in the south and the planned unification of the two Port Authorities of the two shores into one single authority.