Summary

This Recommendation describes the nature of the information regarding marine cables and pipelines that should be maintained by National or Regional government agencies which are responsible for marine shorelines, and the cable or pipeline installations that may either be present or added.

Information about marine cable and pipeline installations can affect the cost of future installations or maintenance, including their environmental impact. At present, there is no global authority to maintain such information and the responsibility rests with individual countries. Given that information from multiple shoreline databases is necessary in designing new cable links, a standardization of the information that should be maintained will assist all participating parties. Such information is also useful in managing shoreline infrastructure when cables and pipelines are decommissioned, thereby allowing the possibility of reusing the space.