The agent of the ship sends a written notice to the port control officer about the arrival or departure of the ship pursuant to the procedures provided in the agency contract. Fishing vessels must notify the port control officer about the arrival or departure of the ship orally via VHF radio, following the good maritime practice.

Contractual small boats do not have to notify the port about their arrival, but must notify the port control officer about their departure via telephone. The port control officerhelps the ships to determine their position in port and enters the ship’s data into a port Daily Logbook.