INTERNATIONAL HYDROGRAPHIC REVIEW
MAY 2020
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In particular, the main benefit for the mariner is a seamless transition from chart to chart, from
country to country, and from sea to land, based on a unified height datum. This comes at the
“price” of potentially changed reference levels in harbors and shifted charted depths
(see Sections 3 and4). Wherever possible, these changes will be introduced together with major
updates of anyway outdated map sheets.
2. Organisational background for the establishment of the BSCD2000
BSCD2000 was initiated by the Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission (BSHC). The BSHC (http://
www.bshc.pro) is an integrant part of the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO),
promotes the technical cooperation in the domain of hydrographic surveying, marine cartography
and nautical information among the neighboring countries of the Baltic Sea region. The main
objectives of the Commission are the coordination of the production of the Baltic Sea I NT Charts,
the coordination of hydrographic re-surveys, harmonization of chart datums, harmonization of
Baltic Sea ENCs, and the exchange of information and the harmonization of practices with regard
to various issues related to hydrography. Its member states are visualized in Figure 3.
BSHC-Members
Sweden
Germany
Finland
Russian
Federation
ia
Estoni
Latvia
Lithuania
Oblast Kaliningrad
Poland
Figure 3: Members states of the Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission (BSHC)
In 2005, the Baltic Sea Hydrographic Commission (BSHC) recognized the issue of the incompati
ble chart datums in the Baltic Sea and established the Chart Datum Working Group (CDWG) to
develop a concept of a harmonized chart datum. The CDWG (http://www.bshc.pro/working-
groups/cdwg) reports to the BSHC Conferences and aims to implement the Baltic Sea Chart
Datum 2000 as a common reference level in the Baltic Sea. The working group cooperates with
relevant bodies, reviews the progress of national plans and proposes harmonization actions. The
working group also liaises with relevant IHO bodies and studies relevant IHO resolutions and
specifications. It is currently chaired by Mr Thomas Hammarklint (SMA, Sweden) with Mr Jyrki
Mononen (Traficom, Finland) as ordinary secretary.