Since the first discussions of the use of Maritime Autonomous
Surface Ships (MASS) there are many debates and concerns on whether
the current legal framework, namely the 1982 Law of the Sea
Convention (LOSC), is adequate and remains fit for its purpose. The
use of MASS implies that a master and the rest of the crew on-board
a vessel “disappear”; does this therefore necessitate
the fundamental change of the current legal framework?
Besides LOSC, many international legal rules concern MASS, such
as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
(SOLAS). The most problematic aspect of the use of MASS as far as
the international law of the sea is concerned, is when the MASS is
operated from an on-shore remote control center or when such
operation is performed by an algorithm on a computer.
