[1] It also informs mariners about shipping routes, the seabed and underwater hazards such as shipwrecks by making use of its nautical charts, measurements and detailed knowledge about the maritime borders of the Kingdom.

[3] Since its creation the Hydrographic service has been responsible for chartering the waters of the Netherlands and tasked with reporting any changes of the fairways to the maritime transport sector.

Highly frequented routes require more attention than less frequented parts of the North Sea and are thus being surveyed at least every two years (some areas in the Rotterdam approach even annually) Above that the southern part of the Dutch North Sea which attracts most of the traffic is covered with sandy shoals forming a great risk for deep-draught vessels.

The important fairways to Rotterdam and IJmuiden are maintained and surveyed by the North Sea Service (Dienst Noordzee) of the Rijkswaterstaat.

are published in the weekly Berichten aan Zeevarenden (Dutch Notice to Mariners) in order to provide for the update of charts and pilots.