“The ICPC recommends the accurate and effective charting of submarine cables to be essential for both maritime safety and the protection of critical global infrastructure”

The International Cable Protection Committee (“ICPC”), the world’s preeminent international organization devoted to submarine cable protection and resilience, believes that identification of submarine telecommunications and power cables on nautical charts is consistent with longstanding international best practices and standards and critical to ensure:

1. Protection of those cables from the principal sources of damage
2. Maritime safety of other vessels and their crews
3. Ensure that cable owners may receive compensation for negligent damage, and
4. Compliance with state obligations under international law.

Submarine telecommunications cables provide more than 99 percent of the world’s intercontinental data connectivity, and power cables facilitate the transmission and distribution of power domestically and between countries.

The ICPC believes that proposals to remove cables from nautical charts are misguided and would exacerbate the harm they are meant to prevent, namely, protection of infrastructure and continuity of communications. State and non-state actors seeking to locate and damage cables intentionally have the technological means to do so regardless of charting. Moreover, removal from nautical charts would greatly increase the incidence of damage from fishing and anchoring (which already cause more than 70 percent of cable damage to submarine telecommunications cables globally each year) and threaten new damage from emerging ocean activities such as offshore renewable energy development and deep seabed mining. Charts alert vessel operators and other marine industries of infrastructure to be avoided and protected, whereas de-charting would deprive those parties of such critical information. Without awareness of cable locations, cable damage and disruption of communications would increase significantly.

Accurate and consistent charting of submarine cables is consistent with the ICPC Best Practices for Governments on Cable Protection and Resilience, ICPC Recommendations, and recommendations of the International Hydrographic Organization (“IHO”), the principal international organization for nautical charting. The ICPC urges governments and their hydrographic offices to continue to identify cables on nautical charts, consistent with those authorities.

Protecting Submarine Cables from Damage

Of the approximately 150–200 annual cable faults recorded globally, 70–80% result from accidental damage, primarily caused by fishing activities and vessel anchoring. Evidence from cable awareness programmes and accurate charting initiatives demonstrates that these measures significantly reduce such risks. Consequently, the industry consensus is that charting submarine cables is essential to safeguarding them from their most prevalent threats.

Trawling and other bottom-contact fishing methods pose a significant threat to submarine cables. Charting enables fishermen to identify cable routes and adjust their operations accordingly and to support their risk assessments when going to sea. Regional cable charting initiatives tend to be particularly focussed towards the fishing industry to support risk assessment and safety initiatives.

Ships unknowingly anchoring in proximity to submarine cables or inadvertently being dragged across submarine cables are a significant cause of cable damage globally. ICPC encourages the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to take steps to reduce the risk of accidental drags. (See ICPC Viewpoint – Damage to Submarine Cables from Dragged Anchors)

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (“UNCLOS”) requires that states, in their exercise of freedoms to install, operate, and repair submarine cables demonstrate due and reasonable regard for other activities in the marine environment. A failure to chart cables, or removal of existing cables from nautical charts, is inconsistent with these obligations, as it could deprive other states in their exercise of lawful uses of the oceans of information necessary to ensure plan and conduct their activities while ensuring cable protection and maritime safety. De-charting of cables would also undermine the ability of submarine cable operators to pursue damage claims against parties causing accidental or negligent damage to cables, as other marine activities would have no notice of cable locations and consequently no duty of care to avoid cable damage. This result would deprive cable operators of compensation for cable damage. It would also eliminate a deterrent for future cable damage.

Security Considerations

Human activities remain the leading cause of submarine cable damage, with incidents often resulting from demersal fishing, vessel anchoring, and other human activities on the seabed and in the oceans. The ICPC strongly supports the inclusion of submarine cable data in navigational charts as a key measure to reduce these risks, which has proven to reduce cable damage globally.

It is also industry consensus that cable locations can be determined or inferred from other sources of information and can be damaged by malicious sabotage even if they were not charted. Charting of cables does not significantly increase the security risk towards cables.

During the 1950s and 1960s, submarine cable repair and maintenance authorities sought authorisation from national governments to chart cables due to the rising number of faults. This led to a reduction in incidents and enhanced overall cable resilience against both high- and low-probability threats.

Hybrid incidents

In recent years, concerns over hybrid incidents, which are incidents that are difficult to attribute, have grown in discussions on subsea infrastructure security. While these risks warrant attention, minimising accidental damage through effective charting and awareness programmes supports attribution efforts by reducing the number of unintentional faults, thereby when incidents do occur they can give more indication of cause. As such, cable charting remains a critical tool for both security and the broader resilience of global communications networks.

Maritime Safety:

Nautical Charts

The charting of submarine cables is a key element in ensuring the safety of maritime activities. Nautical charts and electronic chart products, produced in accordance with IHO standards, provide vital information to mariners, allowing them to navigate safely while avoiding potential hazards.

Submarine cables must be clearly marked on charts to help vessels plan safe passage and avoid fishing or anchoring over submarine cables, where possible. Good cable awareness reduces the risk of unintended interactions. Cable awareness has always been an effective method of submarine cable protection.

Ships deploying anchors inadvertently near cables is a common cause of damage, and it remains important to ensure that cables are clearly and accurately marked on charts to reduce such incidents.

Ensuring that cable routes are correctly included in nautical charts enhances maritime safety and supports informed decision making by vessel operators.

Regional Cable Awareness

Regional cable awareness projects, such as KIS-ORCA, the Danish Cable Protection Committee (DKCPC) charts, and North American Submarine Cable Association (NASCA) charts, play a vital role in promoting maritime safety and protecting submarine cables by providing accurate location data to mariners, fishers, and offshore operators.

KIS-ORCA, a European initiative supported by members of the European Subsea Cables Association, publishes detailed charts and digital mapping to help marine users operate safely in the vicinity of submarine cables. It was established at the directive of safety authorities following maritime accidents resulting in loss of life from fishing gear snagging incidents on submarine cables in the 1980s. Data is shared with the fishing community in a format that can be loaded directly into fishing plotters.

DKCPC charts support similar efforts in Danish waters, while NASCA charts enhance awareness in North America. By integrating accurate cable data into navigational tools, these projects improve maritime safety and contribute to the resilience of global communications infrastructure.

Further to regional cable awareness, it is an industry best practice to send cable alignment data to hydrographic offices for the inclusion of the route alignments in all nautical charts and electronic chart products that are used by mariners. Timely inclusion of route data on nautical chart products is an important component of promoting awareness of new cable installations.

Implementing Best Practices for Charting Submarine Cables

1. Governments and Hydrographic Authorities:

• Require that all submarine cables be promptly incorporated into national nautical charts following their installation and subsequent repairs.
• Work closely with the IHO and national hydrographic offices to ensure uniform standards in charting and data dissemination.
• Submarine cables should be charted along their accurate alignments on hydrographic charts and chart products - especially considering human activities taking place in deeper water (Deep Sea Mining, Deep Sea Fishing etc.).
• There can be regional considerations regarding cables being charted nearshore for security; however, ICPC would recommend charting seawards from at least to 10m water depth offshore.
• Establish clear protocols for updating charts when new cables are laid or decommissioned.
• Support and encourage regional cable awareness initiatives.

2. Cable Owners and Industry Stakeholders:

• Provide accurate and up-to-date submarine cable data to hydrographic offices and navigational chart publishers.
• Submarine cables should be charted along their accurate alignments on hydrographic charts and chart products- especially considering human activities taking place in deeper water (Deep Sea Mining, Deep Sea Fishing etc.).
• There can be regional considerations regarding cables being charted nearshore for security; however, ICPC would recommend charting seawards from at least to 10m water depth offshore.
• Engage with maritime industries to promote awareness of cable locations and best practices for avoiding damage.
• Support and share data with regional initiatives to promote maritime safety and cable awareness.

3. Maritime and Offshore Industries:

• Ensure that vessel operators, fishing crews, and offshore workers are trained in safe vessel operation in the vicinity of submarine cables.
• Utilise IHO-standard nautical charts and Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) to enhance situational awareness.
• Familiarise themselves with the locations of submarine cables well in advance of activities taking place at sea and engage directly with cable owners to coordinate offshore activities to mitigate risks of damage to submarine cables.

Conclusion

The accurate and effective charting of submarine cables is essential for both maritime safety and the protection of critical global infrastructure. Governments, hydrographic organisations, and industry stakeholders must work together to ensure that submarine cables are correctly charted, widely recognised in maritime navigation, and safeguarded from human causes of damage.

The ICPC urges all parties to follow best practices in submarine cable protection and resilience, ensuring that charting remains a key pillar in the long-term resilience of global connectivity and seabed infrastructure.