Skuld Club has provided recommendations for fish farms in Lanshan, China, aimed at reducing the risk of incidents, enhancing navigational safety and protecting aquaculture operations.
According to Skuld, recently, a vessel allegedly damaged aquaculture farms while navigating towards Lanshan no.1 anchorage. Despite warnings from the VTS via VHF and plotted coordinates on the ECDIS by the 2/O, the vessel inadvertently entered the fish farm area. The Club’s local correspondent has informed that such incidents frequently occur in Lanshan Port, with six incidents recorded in both 2023 and 2024.
The investigation has revealed that the fish farm area lacked adequate special markings to warn passing vessels of its presence. The markings were not established in accordance with MSA requirements, and their absence posed additional navigational risks.
Furthermore, the licenses for the fish farms had expired, raising concerns about their legitimacy and the potential discrepancies between the designated marking areas and the actual boundaries of the farms.
In addition, it was noted that the master and deck officers were unfamiliar with local hazards, as this was their first call to the port. Although the local agent provided information about fish farm locations, the bridge team did not fully comprehend the associated risks. The vessel altered its route, taking a shortcut towards the anchorage, which resulted in its unintended entry into the high-risk fish farm area.
Moreover the bridge team did not adequately execute the passage plan, which should have included a thorough assessment of navigational hazards, clear and noticeable marks on the charts, and practicable Off-Track Margin (OTM) considerations.
A detailed briefing for all bridge team members was essential, however, this oversight ultimately led to the incident.
Recommendations
Further to previous Skuld advisories the following actions are recommended:
- Prior to arrival, confirm with local agents about the current state of farm locations and recommended navigation routes to ensure safe passage. Obtain the latest information on farm boundaries and newly established fish farms. Integrate detailed fish farm locations into the passage plan and mark them on the charts.
- Conduct a thorough bridge team briefing for all members regarding the passage plan, navigation warnings, and the locations of fish farms along with their associated hazards. Emphasize the necessary precautions to be take during navigation to ensure the vessel is always operating in safe areas.
- Implement best practices in passage planning by incorporating the OTM into the plan. Keep the vessel within the OTM and defined navigation channel until it is confirmed that there are no farms in the area.
- Maintain a vigilant lookout while the vessel proceeds into port. Utilize various methods to ensure an effective lookout in the vicinity of the fish farm area. If necessary, increase bridge manning levels, especially during nighttime navigation.
- Utilize high-frequency X-band radar settings to detect smaller objects, such as buoys marking fish farms. Ensure that lookout personnel remain vigilant, especially in low visibility conditions and at nighttime; consider adding an additional lookout if necessary.
- Maintain clear communication with VTS and pilot stations for real-time updates on the vessel’s movement and fish farm locations, ensuring the vessel navigates safely out of farm boundaries.
- Approach the port and anchorage in areas with known fish farm activity at a reduced speed, keeping anchors ready for immediate use if necessary.
