As the American Club informs, further warnings have been provided by the Fujian Province based Maritime Safety Agency (MSA) and Fujian Ocean and Fisheries Bureau (FOFB) regarding the risks of collision between commercial and fishing vessels in Fujian waters that include the ports of Ningde, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen and Zhangzhou.
The Fujian MSA and FOFB have identified ten particular coastal areas as “high risk warning areas” based upon AIS tracking data and the analysis of collisions between commercial ships and fishing vessels over the prior ten years.
Recommendations
- Ensure that vessel crews are familiar with the Safety Guidelines for Preventing Collision Between Merchant Ships and Fishing Boats in Chinese Coastal Waters.
- Review and conduct any relevant safety training related to safety of navigation for fishing areas and collision avoidance procedures fishing vessels.
- Avoid traditional fish farms and fishing areas when voyage planning. Recommended routes should be carefully considered and strictly obeyed during transit through these areas.
- Effective radio communication in fishing areas can be a significant challenge given the number of fishing vessels and language differences. All available means should be considered and applied to warn fishing boats to prevent collisions.
- In the event of a collision with a fishing vessel, rescue operations should be performed immediately taking into account the safety of both vessels, their crews and the surrounding vessel traffic. Vessels should also immediately contact the Fujian MSA or VTS authorities or emergency phone telephone number at +86 12395.
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