international tools for improved fishing vessel safety

Number 3 - October 2006

In this issue ...

• Application of Safe Operation Plansduring the practical component ofthe SPC/NMIT Pacific IslandsFisheries Officers Course .................. p.2

• The Torremolinos Protocol and STCW-FConvention: Tools for improved fishingvessel safety ..................................... p.4

• FishSAFE: A New Zealand fishingindustry safety programme .............. p.7

• The GPIRB: The smart EPIRB ........... p.12

• VHF radios versus cellular phones .... p.12

• A safer tool: The improved ATÉPASdugout canoe in Senegal ................ p.14

• New Maritime New Zealand DVD ... p.15

• Preventable tragedy: Reinforcing thedangers of alcohol and boats ......... p.16

• And in Papua New Guinea, alcohol killsAn update by Hugh Walton ........... p.17

• Sea safety project for artisanal fishermenin Nagapattinam and Cuddalore Districts,January-June 2006 .......................... p.18

I N F O R M A T I O N B U L L E T I N

ello again, readers. First off, my apologies for the delay incompletion and publication of this bulletin. A heavier-than-

usual workload and more travel than I care for in the past fewmonths, but back on schedule now and hopefully more regular inthe months to come.

There is some excellent material in this bulletin, and I would first liketo draw your attention to the lead article in the Safety Feature sectionregarding the ratification of the Torremolinos Protocol and the STCW-F Convention. As noted in the article, there is a real possibility forPacific Island countries (PICs) to act collectively in the ratificationand adoption of these important documents in the interests ofpromoting common safety standards, saving lives and preventingaccidents. It requires support for the further development ofpolitical will in taking responsible steps with safety issues in aninternational framework. A task for all with an interest in preventingaccidents and loss of life at sea.

Readers will also enjoy the contribution from Simon Reid on the NewZealand FishSAFE initiative, which has been a multi-agency com-mitment to addressing work safety issues at an individual boat level.An excellent initiative that is proving very successful and could wellbe applied more widely in the region. Thanks are due to John Swamyfor his summary of the EU-funded sea safety programme for increas-ing safety awareness among artisanal fishermen in the tsunami-af-fected districts of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, India.

This edition also takes a look at some important aspects of marinecommunications, with a summary of the new GPIRB and a discussionof the pros and cons of mobile phones. I would again like to encouragegroup members and readers to sharpen their pencils or sit down attheir keyboard and send in safety-related stories and articles.

Hugh Walton

SECRETARIAT OF THE PACIFIC COMMUNITYPrepared by the Nearshore Fisheries Development and Training Section

of the Marine Resources Division and printed with financial assistance from France

International tools forimproved fishing vessel safety

H

2 SPC Sea Safety Special Interest Group Information Bulletin #3 – October 2006

SPC Activities

Application of Safe Operation Plans during the practical component of theSPC/NMIT Pacific Islands Fisheries Officers Course

by William Sokimi, SPC Fisheries Development Officer

The practical component of the SPC/NelsonMarlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT)Pacific Islands Fisheries Officers Course washeld at the Vanuatu Maritime College (VMC)in Santo from 5 to 30 June. The course wasattended by nine students from seven PacificIsland countries: one each from Fiji, Nauru,Samoa and Vanuatu; two from Papua NewGuinea; and three from Kiribati.

The programme developed for this year's prac-tical course emphasised several aspects ofsmall-scale commercial fishing operations, in-cluding the safety of crew and vessel throughthe daily use of Safe Operation Plans (SOPs);preparation and management of fishing ves-sels engaged in small fishing operations; con-struction of fishing gear and application offishing methods; recommended practices foronboard handling of fish; post-harvest opera-tions on return to base; handling, processingand packing fish for the export market; repair-ing and stowing gear in readiness for the nextfishing operation; a working knowledge of theecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF); andsustainable fishing practices.

Deterrent weather conditions (20-30 knotwinds and rough seas) were experienced forthe duration of the course. However, the dailyroutine of getting up early, preparing the fish-ing vessels for sea using SOPs, conductingfishing and post-harvest operations and pre-paring the vessels for the next fishing tripserved the participants well in understand-ing the intricacies and dilemmas that com-mercial fishers face daily in order to carry outsuccessful fishing operations.

The constant bad weather stressed the impor-tance of preparing the vessels for fishing tripsusing SOPs and gave the participants an in-sight into the hardships and risks that small-scale commercial fishers face when trying toeke out a living. It's not just about catching fish.

The catch is the end product of meticulous plan-ning and preparation, and is dependent on fish-ers' knowledge, selection of fishing grounds,weather conditions, and luck. The preparationof an SOP and its daily use reassures fishersthat at least standard precautionary measureshave been taken to give them better optionswhen trouble occurs at sea and to safeguardtheir return from their fishing trip. Prudent sea-manship and good boat-handling skills will alsofortify their chances of a safe return to port.

Three different vessels were used for carryingout the fishing operations. The FV Etelis andFV Em Nao were used during the deep-bot-tom fishing and vertical longline exercises,while the FV Evolan was brought in duringthe horizontal tuna longline exercise. Whenthe weather permitted, all vessels fished inthe ocean side outside the reef areas up to 4nautical miles from the reef; otherwise, thevessels operated in the lee of the islands lyingoff Luganville town in Santo. Each vessel hada separate SOP to suit its size and the capac-ity of the people who would be travelling onboard for the training exercises.

The FV Etelis is a 10-metre vessel constructedof marine plywood with a 48 hp inboard dieselengine and licensed to carry 10 people plusthe vessel's skipper, so 11 in all. During thecourse only eight people were carried on board,including the skipper.

The FV Em Nao is a 5-metre vessel con-structed from marine plywood and poweredby a 75 hp Yamaha outboard motor. The ves-sel is licensed to carry six people, but onlyfive were taken on the fishing exercises.

The FV Evolan is a 12-metre vessel con-structed from fibreglass and powered by a 75hp Yanmar inboard diesel engine. This vesselis licensed to carry 10 people, but during thetraining exercises only eight were carried.

SPC Sea Safety Special Interest Group Information Bulletin #3 – October 2006 3

Students of the SPC/NMIT PacificIslands Fisheries Officers Course

completing the pre-departurechecklists during the practical

fishing course in Santo

The following is the safety checklist for the FVEm Nao. It is not the full SOP but only the listused daily for pre-departure safety checks.Other documents in the SOP include fishinggear checklists, periodical inspection and serviceforms, records of audit and inspection, andrecords of safety equipment.

This pre-departure checklist can be used as aguide to develop your own SOP, specific to yourvessel and type of commercial operation. Moreinformation on SOPs is available in issue #2 ofour Sea Safety Bulletin..

SPC wishes to acknowledge the valuable inputof Peter Petherbridge, New Zealand VSAVolunteer at the College, in the developmentand promotion of the VMC vessels' SOPs.

SPC Activities


Safety Feature

It is a well-known fact that fishing is one ofthe most dangerous occupations in theworld. The following statistics from the In-ternational Labour Organization (ILO), theInternational Maritime Organization (IMO)and the Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations (FAO) clearly demon-strate the extent of the safety problem inthe global fishing industry.

• Each year there is an average of 24,000fatalities and 24 million non-fatal acci-dents (non-fatal injuries are grossly un-der-reported, according to ILO).

• While fishers comprise less than 1% of theglobal workforce, 7% of worker fatalitiesoccur in the fishing industry.

• The fatality rate is estimated at 80/100,000 per annum, which is 79 timeshigher than the overall occupational fa-tality rate.

The community nature of much of the world'sfishing activity and the potentially devastat-ing impact that high injury and fatality ratescan have on fishing communities are demon-strated by another set of statistics.

• In 1995 the total world fishing fleet (of alltypes) was about 3.8 million vessels.

• About 15 million people are employedaboard fishing vessels and about 98% workon vessels less than 24 metres in length.

• Most of the world's fishing fleet comprisesboats that operate in artisanal fisheries.

According to IMO, 80% of accidents arecaused by human error and most of theseerrors can at some point be attributed tomanagement deficiencies that create thepre-conditions for accidents. Personnelmust be effectively managed to ensure thatthey have appropriate training and that theywork in accordance with relevant labourlaws and agreed conditions. The procedures,

methods and systems used on fishing ves-sels must be effectively managed to ensurethat they work effectively and efficiently andproduce the required outcomes. Finally,plant (hull, machinery, fishing gear, etc.)must be managed to ensure that it is prop-erly maintained and performs in accordancewith its designed capacity.

The solutions for improving fishing vessel safetyare thus straightforward: seaworthy vessels,well-trained and competent crews, and safety-oriented management.

Seaworthy boats are of critical importance, butit is necessary to have standards for their de-sign, construction methods and materials ofconstruction, as well as for their equipment andoutfit. Along with these standards there mustalso be standards for maintenance and inspec-tion - in other words, a regulatory system de-signed to oversee the fundamentals of safeoperations. The standards must be universallyadopted, and this requires some sort of inter-national binding agreement. The TorremolinosConvention and its 1993 Protocol provide thenecessary framework.

Just as important as the standards for ves-sels are standards for crew, their training,qualifications and methods of work. Becausefishing is an industry that operates in openseas, interacts with other maritime indus-tries and is global in operation, it is impor-tant that common crew training standardsbe used, particularly when it comes to quali-fication and certification. Those standardsmust be universally adopted and recognised,and the only way to do this is through theframework of an international convention.This is the purpose of the Convention onStandards of Training, Certification andWatchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel,1995 (STCW-F Convention).

The Torremolinos Protocol and STCW-F Convention:Tools for improved fishing vessel safety

by Michel Blanc, SPC Fisheries Development and Training Adviser


Safety Feature

The 1977 Torremolinos Convention andits 1993 Protocol

The safety of fishing vessels has been a mat-ter of concern to IMO since the organisationcame into existence. In 1977, the first-everinternational conference on the safety of fish-ing vessels was held in Torremolinos, Spain.The conference adopted the TorremolinosConvention, which established a safety regimefor fishing vessels of more than 24 metres.The Convention looked at construction stan-dards and some safety-related equipment forfishing vessels in a similar way that the SOLASConvention does for cargo and passenger ves-sels. The Torremolinos Convention was foundtoo stringent by the major fishing nations, andas such, was never ratified.

In 1993, a Protocol to the Convention wasadopted (the Torremolinos Protocol). The Pro-tocol updates and amends the 1977 Conven-tion, taking into account technological evolutionand the need to take a pragmatic approach toencouraging ratification of the instrument. Thesafety provisions of the Protocol cover construc-tion, stability, machinery, fire protection, pro-tection of crew, life-saving equipment,emergency procedures, radio communications,navigation equipment, vessel certification andport state control. Some of the provisions arerestricted to fishing vessels of more than 45metres. To date, six states have ratified the Pro-tocol (15 are required for its entry into force).

The 1995 STCW-F Convention

The International Convention on Standardsof Training, Certification and Watchkeepingfor Fishing Vessel Personnel (1995) comple-ments the Torremolinos Protocol by setting aregulatory framework for the training andcertification of fishing vessel personnel.STCW-F is the 'sister' convention to the 1978STCW Convention (training and certificationof seafarers), as amended in 1995, with simi-lar provisions.

The STCW-F Convention addresses trainingand certification standards for skippers and

watchkeepers on fishing vessels of more than24 metres, engineers on vessels of more than750 kW and crew in charge of radio communi-cations. It also requires basic (pre-sea) safetytraining for all fishing vessel personnel. TheConvention embraces the concept of compe-tency-based training. It does not deal withmanning levels. So far the STCW-F Conven-tion has been ratified by six states, with 15required for its entry into force.

Document for Guidance on Training andCertification of Fishing Vessel Personnel

First published in 1985, then thoroughly re-vised in 2001, the Document combines theconventions and recommendations adoptedby ILO and IMO with the wide practical expe-rience of FAO in the field of fishers' training.

The Document is aligned with the provisionsof the STCW-F Convention. It provides guid-ance for setting the framework of a trainingsystem for fishing vessel personnel appro-priate to the size and nature of the fishery(all sizes of fishing vessels are covered). Itaddresses issues such as methods of train-ing and assessment (competency-basedtraining is promoted), content and durationof training programmes, competencies to beassessed, and required experience and quali-fications for tutors. There is a strong empha-sis on sustainability (FAO Code of Conduct),fatigue management and the active involve-ment of all parties in training development.

The above instruments were promoted at aregional seminar in late March in Suva, Fiji,as part of an initiative from IMO to urge mem-ber governments to consider accepting the1993 Torremolinos Protocol and the 1995STCW-F Convention. It was the eighth in aseries of nine regional seminars run byMilhar Fuazudeen (IMO Technical Officer)and David Harrod (Maritime Safety Consult-ant). Participants included 10 maritime ad-ministrators, eight training providers, threefisheries administrators and two fishing op-erators, as well as staff from the SPC mari-time and fisheries programmes.


Safety Feature

With regard to the likely impacts ofTorremolinos and STCW-F on Pacific Is-lands, several important points were madeat the seminar.

• The Pacific is well ahead of other regionsin that it already has training and certifi-cation standards for fishing vessel person-nel: a common certification structure fortrading and fishing vessels was developedby the SPC Regional Maritime Programme(RMP) in the mid-1990s through a consul-tation process involving heads of marinedepartments and training institutions. Itis monitored on an ongoing basis througha subcommittee of the Pacific Islands Mari-time Association (PacMA) (the latest ver-sion is available from RMP).

• Training institutions in the region are al-ready familiar with the concept of compe-tency-based training, and a number ofmodel training programmes for fishing ves-sel personnel are available and being usedthroughout the region: SPC Safety Certifi-cate, SPC/Pacific Island Qualified FishingDeckhand Certificate, etc. The pre-sea in-duction training system used in Papua NewGuinea for new vessel crew is also relevantas it is aligned with the requirements ofSTCW-F for basic pre-sea safety trainingfor all fishing vessel personnel.

• While the Protocol and Convention apply tolarge fishing vessels (> 24 metres), of whichthere are very few in PICs, the applicationof these instruments is flexible. It is pos-sible for national laws to extend the appli-cability of Torremolinos and STCW-F tosmaller classes of vessels.

• National administrations and the regionalfishing industry need to be aware of and fa-miliar with the provisions of these interna-tional instruments and prepare for their entryinto force. The current status of requirementsand standards in the region means that the

effective implementation of the Protocol andConvention would not be too difficult.

• Due to the current limited number of sig-natories, PICs, by ratifying the instruments,may drive their entry into force.

• The SPC maritime and fisheriesprogrammes can underpin a regionalmechanism and be the focal agency in as-sisting countries with the implementationof the Protocol and Convention.

SPC shares the opinion of IMO that imple-menting the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol andthe 1995 STCW-F Convention will significantlyimprove the safety record of the fishing in-dustry and contribute to the prevention of lossof lives on board fishing vessels.

Obviously, the introduction of relevant stan-dards for vessel safety and crew training canonly provide to fishing vessel personnel a saferworking environment, improved safety, wideremployment options and sustainability of live-lihood. However, the change will have a cost,not only for fishing vessel operators (upgrad-ing of safety systems) but also for training in-stitutions (wider application ofcompetency-based training and assessment)and maritime administrations (certificationand surveys). These cost implications need tobe considered and carefully assessed. SPC andthe Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), throughthe EU-funded DEVFISH Project, will soon un-dertake a regional study on the issue, the re-sults of which will be widely distributed tofisheries and maritime stakeholders.

For more information, contact:

John Hogan, Regional Maritime ProgrammeCoordinator: [email protected] Blanc, Nearshore FisheriesDevelopment and Training Adviser:[email protected]


Training Activities

FishSAFE: A New Zealand fishing industry safety programmeby Simon Reid

Overview

FishSAFE is a partnership between the fish-ing industry and government agencies that isaimed at improving the safety performance ofthe New Zealand commercial fishing sector -in other words, reducing the number and se-verity of injuries to fishers.

The industry-led partnership was formed in2004, and originated from a study into thecauses of work-related fatalities within thecommercial fishing industry that was carriedout in 2000 by Maritime New Zealand. Thatstudy highlighted the high fatality rate withinthe commercial fishing industry and in 2001led to the creation of FISHGroup - the FishingIndustry Safety and Health Advisory Group.

FISHGroup was an industry-led forumcharged with identifying the causes of work-related near-misses, injuries and fatalities. Itbrought together fishers, industry stakeholdergroups and government agencies to developstrategies aimed at improving safety perfor-mance. That work was successfully completedin 2003 and a final report was produced thatmade a series of recommendations in the areasof communications and safety awareness,streamlining of compliance, training and devel-opment, human factors, and design, construc-tion and equipment.

The key recommendation was the formationof an industry-led body that would focus onthe promotion of safety within the fishing in-dustry by developing and supporting indus-try and government partnerships, andfacilitating industry initiatives. This body wascharged with implementation of the recom-mendations contained in the final report, andbecame known as FishSAFE. Membership isopen to individual fishers and representa-tive industry organisations, as well as gov-ernment agencies with an interest in healthand safety in the commercial fishing indus-

try. The current chairman of FishSAFE isPeter Dawson from the NZ Federation of Com-mercial Fishermen.

The regulatory framework covering industrialhealth and safety in New Zealand was revisedat the same time as FishSAFE was being estab-lished, and coverage was extended to includefishing vessels under the legislation that ap-plied ashore. FishSAFE took the view that theNew Zealand deepwater fleet generally had beenable to devote time and resources to respond-ing to the application of the revised Health andSafety in Employment Act to their operations.

However, the owners and operators of smallervessels often find themselves without eitherthe time or specialist knowledge to meet theirrequirements under the new legislation. Thesevessels make up the majority of the NewZealand fishing fleet in terms of both vesselnumbers (about 1100) and people employed,and are a high-risk area when it comes tonumber and severity of injuries.

In New Zealand, universal workers' compensa-tion insurance is operated on a 24-hour no-fault basis by a government agency - theAccident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Thisagency was closely involved in FISHGroup and,together with Maritime New Zealand, is a keygovernment partner with the fishing industryin FishSAFE. ACC statistics show that the rateof injuries and fatalities on smaller fishing ves-sels (under 24 metres) is comparable with thatof forestry workers and aerial top dressing pi-lots - and this risk factor is of course reflectedin the high ACC insurance premiums paid byfishers. Large employers in the fishing industrywere able to enter into partnership programmeswith ACC and gain discounts on the insurancelevies for their employees in return for improve-ments in safety performance. However, therewas no comparable mechanism that smallercompanies or owner/operators could access.


Training activities

Figure 1: Coastal fishing new entitlement claims

Coastal Fishing New Entitlement Claims

262

302

242

193

138

$1,530,676

$1,781,154

$1,184,601

$1,381,599

$1,727,905

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2000/2001 2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005$-

$200,000

$400,000

$600,000

$800,000

$1,000,000

$1,200,000

$1,400,000

$1,600,000

$1,800,000

Number of Claims

Cost of Claims

Num

ber

of C

laim

s

Cos

t of

Cla

ims

Figure 2: Coastal fishing total entitlement claims

Figure 4: Claims per $1 million payroll - significantindustries

Figure 3: New claims per $1 million payroll - coastalfishing

Coastal Fishing Total Entitlement Claims

473

393

343300

$5,423,674

$4,929,679

$5,048,650

$5,457,691

0

200

400

600

800

2001/2002 2002/2003 2003/2004 2004/2005$3,600,000

$4,100,000

$4,600,000

$5,100,000

$5,600,000

$6,100,000

Number of ClaimsCost of Claims

Num

ber

of C

laim

s

Cos

t of

Cla

ims

New C laims per $1million Payroll: C oastal F ishing

1.681.75

2.33 2.35

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05

Claims per $1million Payroll: Significant Industries

1.81

2.43

2.82

1.95

2.35

0.97

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Road Forestry Agriculture Construction Fishing Health

Note 1: Excludes vehicle crashes

(Note1)

Figure 1 shows the situation facing the sec-tor, where the number of new accidents isactually falling but the cost of those accidentsin terms of treatment and compensation isrelatively static.

Figure 2 reinforces the picture, illustratingthe number and cost of both existing and newclaims for the previous five years.

Figure 3 clearly illustrates the issue facingthe small fishing vessel sector in New Zealand:the actual number of new injuries is falling,but the cost of those injuries (and conse-quently the rates of ACC levies) is rising.

Figure 4 compares the rate of claims forsmaller fishing vessels with other industrysectors that ACC views as having significantrates of new accidents.

Figure 5 illustrates the nature of the injurywith regard to new accident insuranceclaims for inshore fishing vessels.

Figure 6 shows the parts of the body af-fected by accidents. When viewed together,Figures 5 and 6 clearly show that the ma-jority of injuries are fractures, dislocations,and soft-tissue damage to the lower limbs -from the knee to the foot, and from the el-bow to the finger.


Training activities

The first priority for FishSAFE has been to adaptthe approach of the New Zealand deepwatercompanies and develop safety guidelines forsmall commercial fishing vessels and associatedinjury prevention training, with the targetaudience being owners, operators and crew offishing vessels less than 24 metres in length.The intention was to work with Maritime NewZealand to develop an appropriate response tohealth and safety legislation, and to work withACC to create access to levy discount schemesin return for better safety performance by theowners/operators and crew of smaller vessels.

The development of the guidelines and trainingon their use has been a tripartite projectbetween ACC, Maritime NZ and the fishingindustry, funded by ACC to the tune of$NZ500,000 over a three-year period. TheSeafood Industry Training Organisation (SITO)has developed a one-day training workshop atlittle or no cost to participants to help skippersand owners of vessels under 24 metres putthe guidelines into practice and give them thetools to formally train their crews.

The workshops commenced in May and willbe rolled out over the next two years. Thetraining will help owners and skippers tailorthe guidelines to the situations on their vesselsand in their fisheries. It will give themcommonsense and pragmatic ways in whichto cut down the odds of injuries and accidents,as well as meet their obligations under SafeShip Management and Health and Safetyregulations.

People with hands-on experience in the fishingindustry will help deliver the training. SITOis also recruiting and training a network ofindustry people who are close to the fishersand stakeholder groups and who understandtheir work. These FishSAFE 'mentors' will helpskippers and owners put the guidelines intoplace and will provide ongoing support forimplementing them.

As well as being able to access a 10%reduction in ACC insurance levies, everyonewho completes the training workshop will get

Figure 6: Body site of new claims - coastal fishing2004/05

Figure 5: Diagnosis of new claims - coastal fishing2004/05

the FishSAFE passport, which is recognitionthat they have attended and completed thetraining and put the principles into effect ontheir vessel. The training at the workshops andthe training that skippers will do with their crewon the vessel is all formalised against standardsregistered with the New Zealand QualificationsAuthority (NZQA) and can be part of a nationalqualification. For owners and skippers,employing someone with the FishSAFE safetypassport means they know they have someonewith basic safety knowledge.

Diagnosis of New Claims: Coastal Fishing 2004/05

Industrial Deafness11%

Laceration, Puncture Wound

10%

Other14%

Localised Inflammation5%

Hernia5%

Occupational Disease1%

Fracture/ Dislocation14%

Soft Tissue Injury40%

Body site of New Claims: Coastal Fishing 2004/05

Unknown5% Head, face, eye, neck

4%

Ear11%

Upper, lower arm, elbow15%

Shoulder8%

Chest, abdomen, internal4%

Hip/ Upper Leg/ Thigh8%

Finger/ Thumb8%

Back/Spine11%

Knee, lower leg8%

Hand/ Wrist10%

Ankle, foot8%


The Guidelines

The Guidelines for Health and Safety OnBoard Small Fishing Boats were developed byfishers, for fishers. They take a 'best practice'approach to the common safety issues thataffect all small fishing boats, and use the sameapproach to look at the hazards involved inspecific fishing operations.

They are intended to be a useful and practicaltool for everyone involved in the operation ofsmaller fishing vessels, helping crew to worksafely and identify hazards as well as allowingskippers and owners to meet their obligationsunder New Zealand health and safetylegislation and maritime rules.

Use of the Guidelines is intended on threedifferent levels. The first level is acomprehensive set of resource materials for useas a reference tool for owners and skippers,which will be developed during 2006. In mostcases this would be kept ashore, away fromthe vessel, or accessed via the Internet.

The second level is the 'real' Guidelines usedduring the training workshops. These aremeant to be kept on the vessel whereverpossible, with the skipper and crew as thetarget audience. The owner and skipper canwork with their FishSAFE mentor to tailor thematerial to their vessel and the way theyoperate it.The third level of Guidelines material willlargely comprise stickers, pamphlets,laminated handouts, checklists and the like.It is intended to support and complement theinduction and safety training of crew onvessels. This supporting material will becomeavailable in 2006 via training workshops andthe FishSAFE network of mentors.

The Guidelines are meant to be customisedto every vessel and each particular operation- users can remove the bits that aren't relevantand add in things that are. FishSAFE mentorswill provide support and advice on doing this.Much of the safety material is relevant to everysmall boat, regardless of where and how itoperates. The intention is that the skipper and

Training activities

crew of a vessel will have a set of safetyreference materials that are as relevant aspossible to the equipment they have and thework they do.

These materials will provide a starting point forformal identification and management ofhazards on the vessel, as is required now bylaw - and again, FishSAFE mentors will helpwith this process. The Guidelines identify thecommon safety issues fishers have encounteredacross the range of aspects involved in operatinga vessel, and offer simple solutions or measuresthat can been used to try and address thoseissues. By taking the Guidelines material thathas been customised to a vessel and testing ifand how it applies to the way the vessel operates,the skipper and crew will have put in place astraightforward and effective hazard ID andmanagement process. The FishSAFE mentorcan help them to document the process in asimple way that is acceptable for any SafetyManagement System (SMS) or regulatoryrequirement, and the mentor will be availableto fishers for ongoing advice.

The Guidelines are a living document andcomments and feedback are most welcome.They can be viewed at www.fishsafe.org.nz.Any material on the website is freely availablefor use as long as FishSAFE is acknowledgedas the source.

FishSAFE mentors

FishSAFE mentors are the key link in helpingowners, operators and crew to make theirvessels a safer place to work and to accessthe ACC levy discounts that are available.

FishSAFE mentors provide free advice andguidance on injury prevention and hazardmanagement on vessels. They are experiencedindividuals with a strong industry backgroundwho work closely with stakeholderorganisations wherever possible. Their mainroles are to help owners and skippers topersonalise the Guidelines for individualvessels, and to assist the owner and/orskipper in the process of identifying andmanaging the hazards involved in the


Training activities

operation of their vessel. ACC and MaritimeNew Zealand have worked with SITO todevelop an intensive training package for thementors to equip them for this role.

The mentors will:• help organise the training workshops in a

particular area;• support owners and skippers on how to

tailor the Guidelines for their boat andoperation;

• support owners and skippers in identify-ing and managing hazards involved inthe operation of their vessel;

• provide material and advice for skippersto use in induction and safety training fortheir crew;

• provide assistance, support and advice toowners and skippers in the process ofqualifying for available ACC levy discounts;

• provide assistance, support and advice toself-employed crew in the process of quali-fying for available ACC levy discounts; and

• provide a local resource in each port onsafe ship management, FishSAFE andhazard management on an ongoing basis.

Induction and safety briefing process

One of the key requirements of the FishSAFEinjury prevention process is for skippers toensure that a consistent induction and safetybriefing process takes place for all crew whowork on the vessel, regardless of how muchexperience they have or what licence they hold.

The skipper needs to be assured that all crewknow how to work safely on the boat, and thatthey have the skills to do so. This is a majorrequirement under legislation, and ensuringthat it happens is also a major component inthe owner, skipper and self-employed crewqualifying for the ACC levy reduction thatis available. The induction and safetybriefing process is critical to anyoneassociated with the vessel obtaining a levydiscount. One of the issues is consistency -there is a tendency to think that people weassume to be experienced know both whatthey are doing and why they are doing it,which means that they do not get the same

kind of briefing and orientation as someonewith no experience at all. The other majorrequirement in terms of induction and safetytraining is that it is required to bedocumented - by SMS companies andMaritime New Zealand, as well as fromregulatory health and safety perspectives.

Everyone who works on a boat needs to bemade familiar with the safety equipmentcarried, and with all the procedures that aregoing to apply in an emergency - who is goingto do what in the event of fire, man overboard,etc. It is just as important to make themfamiliar with the way work is to be done safelyon the boat, whether it is standing watch,working the gear or handling catch.


Technology and Safety

With the increasing avail-ability of cellular (mobile)phone coverage in manyPacific Islands, the follow-ing article is a timelyreminder of the limitationsof cellphones as a seasafety tool.

The GPIRB: The smart EPIRBCourtesy of Boatsafe.com - Nautical Know How, Inc

The GPIRB is the first ofa new generation ofemergency beacons. Glo-bal Position IndicatingRadio Beacons combinethe latest in GPS and406MHz EPIRB (Elec-tronic Position IndicatingRadio Beacon) technol-ogy, and add extraordi-nary precision to your

emergency distress signal. If you are a boaterwho operates offshore, this could be the best'life insurance' policy you own.

The GPIRB, with its built-in GPS, determinesand broadcasts its own location. This short-ens the time required to get an accurate fixon the beacon location and saves valuabletime at the beginning of a search and rescue(SAR) operation.

The unit comes with a float-free bracket thatreleases it if it is submerged (as in a sinking).There is a manual mode to turn the unit onmanually and a test mode that should be usedon a frequent basis to test the operation. Ithas a minimum 48-hour operating life and 8-channel internal GPS, and comes with alithium battery.

What's the difference between 406MHzEPIRBs and the new GPIRB?

The position of a 406MHz EPIRB is determinedby calculations using the Doppler shift in thebeacon's distress signal, which occurs as sat-ellites approach and recede in overhead or-bits. The accuracy of the calculations isdetermined by the number of signal burstsreceived by the satellites. Accuracy is en-hanced when a satellite passes directly over-head, because the satellite receives thegreatest number of signal bursts. The onlyreal problem with the system is that it takestime for an accurate fix to be acquired.

In contrast, the new GPIRB takes an activerole in determining its own position. When ac-tivated, its internal GPS finds its own position,just like an onboard GPS. Having located it-self, it broadcasts its identity and position on406MHz. It will then shut down for 20 min-utes to conserve power, and repeat the pro-cess of locating itself and rebroadcasting. Itwill continue to update its position every 20minutes as long as it is active. The advantageof a GPIRB is that an accurate fix is almostinstantly available. Its frequent update allowsrescuers to compute drift accurately, and di-rect SAR teams directly to you - difficult to dowith the time delays of an EPIRB.

VHF radios versus cellular phonesCourtesy of Boatsafe.com - Nautical Know How, Inc.

The US Coast Guard does not advocate cellu-lar phones as a substitute for the regularmaritime radio distress and safety systemsrecognised by the Federal CommunicationsCommission and the International RadioRegulations - particularly VHF maritime ra-dio. However, cellular phones can have a placeon board as an added measure of safety.


Technology and safety

receipt of such information may save your life.Additionally, your VHF marine radio can beused anywhere in the world.

On VHF radios, however, conversations arenot private and individual boats cannot beassigned a personal phone number. If you areexpecting a call, channel 16 or the marineoperator's working channel must becontinually monitored.

Should you rely on a cellular phoneexclusively?

Actually, there is no comparison betweencellular phones and VHF marine radios. Theynormally provide different services. The cel-lular phone is best used for what it is - anonboard telephone that is a link with shore-based telephones. A VHF marine radio is in-tended for communication with other shipsor marine installations - and it is a powerfulally in times of emergency. If you have a por-table or hand-held cellular telephone, by allmeans take it aboard. If you are boating veryfar off shore, a cellular phone is no substi-tute for a VHF radio. But if you are withincellular range, it may provide an additionalmeans of communication.

Cellular phone limitations in anemergency

• Cellular phones generally cannot provideship-to-ship safety communications orcommunications with rescue vessels. Ifyou make a distress call on a cellularphone, only the party you call will be ableto hear you.

• Most cellular phones are designed for aland-based service. Their coverage offshoreis limited, and may change without no-tice. Almost everyone has experiencedcommunications out to about 25 miles attimes, yet at other times could not getthrough to a land-based phone inside of10 miles from shore. This might well cre-ate a communications problem in theevent of an emergency at sea.

• Locating a cellular caller is hard to do. Ifyou don't know precisely where you are,the Coast Guard will have difficulty find-ing your location on the water.

Note: In some areas cellular providers haveestablished a special code (*CG) that, if youare in range, will connect you directly to aCoast Guard Operations Center. This servicemay only work with the carrier to which youhave subscribed.

Cellular/VHF marine radio comparison

Cellular phones do provide the convenienceof a simple, easy-to-use, inexpensive, privateand generally reliable telephone service to thehome, office, automobile and other locations.Placing a shore-to-ship call to someone witha cellular telephone is especially convenient.However, you may need a special agreementwith your carrier to use it outside their localservice area.VHF marine radios were designed with safetyin mind. If you are in distress, calls can bereceived not only by the Coast Guard but byships that may be in a position to giveimmediate assistance. A VHF marine radioalso helps ensure that storm warnings andother urgent marine information broadcastsare received. The Coast Guard announcesthese broadcasts on VHF channel 16. Timely


Technology and safety

Senegal is, along with Mauritania, one of thebiggest fishing countries in West Africa.Artisanal fisheries play an important role inthe national economy, providing more than600,000 direct jobs and helping to feed themost disadvantaged sectors of society. Thesefisheries supply up to 85% of industrial pro-cessing plants and provide the raw materialsfor a very important artisanal processing in-dustry, which is mainly run by women.

An age-old activity, Senegalese dugout canoefishing has evolved a great deal since the 1970s,when the canoes gradually became motorised.Over the years, as fish became scarcer near thecoasts, longer canoes had to be built but nosubstantial changes were made to building tech-niques. The largest canoes today are 22 metreslong; most are 12-16 metres long.

Traditional dugout canoes are not ribbed butconsist of a keel made from a tree trunk towhich planking is attached. The planks arejoined to each other by long nails. Watertight-ness is loosely ensured by strands of jute cov-ered in tar. 'Cross-members' join the rib-bandsand ensure a certain degree of lateral stabil-ity. The structure is completed by spurs foreand aft. A well hole is made in the aft of thecanoe for the outboard motor's shaft.

The canoes are often built by travelling car-penters who use very basic tools, and thematerials the canoes are made of are not thebest in quality. Dugout canoes have limiteddurability (5-6 years) and must be repairedoften. Their principal drawbacks are their lackof solidity and lack of watertightness. It is notuncommon to see them break apart when theytry to pass the surf line going out to fish orcoming back again.

Since the canoes leak, a bailing device - gen-erally some kind of foam - must be kept onboard at all times. In addition, the canoesusually have absolutely no safety gear,

whether active or passive, to make it possibleto save lives during shipwrecks. As the ca-noes have cross-members, it can be hazard-ous to move about during fishing operations.

From 1990 to 1996, the Canadian Interna-tional Development Agency (CIDA) funded aproject designed to improve the traditionalSenegalese dugout canoe. The 'improved dug-out' section of the ATÉPAS (Improving Fish-ing Techniques in Senegal) project had thefollowing objectives:

• improving building techniques for tradi-tional dugout canoes while keeping thesame general look, which fishers are veryattached to culturally;

• improving the vessels' overall safety andintegrating safety gear (mast and radar re-flector, spare sail, buoyancy tanks, etc.);and

• setting up a shipbuilding yard equippedwith modern tools, and training carpentersin new building techniques.

The project set up a boatyard in Mbour onthe Petite Côte about 100 km south of Dakar.Mbour is one of the most important fishingand artisanal processing sites in the country.In all, about 10 carpenters - members of thesame economic interest group (groupementd'intérêt économique, or GIE) - were trained.

The hands-on training covered modern build-ing techniques using electric tools. Improveddugout canoes of 12.5-18 metres were de-signed including all the required safety equip-ment. Between 1992 and 1996, the yard builttwenty 12.5-metre pirogues and sixty 18-metre canoes, but due to disagreementswithin the economic interest group the yardthen ceased to operate.

A safer tool: The improved ATÉPAS dugout canoe in SenegalJacques Huet, Marine Expert Plus, Gaspé, Québec, Canada

Gaétan Myre, Groupe Collegia, Matane, Québec, Canada


Resource materials

Passengers aboard Cook Strait ferries arebeing shown an educational safe boating DVDproduced by Maritime New Zealand. The DVD,which was produced by Maritime NZ'sRecreational Boating team, was introducedonto Interislander and Strait Shipping servicesin June 2006. It teaches passengers why smallcraft need to keep well clear of ships inconfined areas. Maritime's Jim Lott, ManagerRecreational Boating, said the screenings onboard the passenger ferry services were'invaluable' to the Crown entity's safe boatingcampaign. Over one million people cross CookStrait each year.

'Many of these passengers are recreationalboaties, so for us it's great to be able to capturethem by screening these safe boating messages- because in the worst case, a ship cannot doanything to avoid a collision,' said Mr Lott. Hesaid the message in the Cook Strait DVD - thatsmall craft within 500 metres ahead of a shipare in danger - applies to all harbours andharbour approaches. Examples filmed from thebridge of ships clearly show the risk manysmall boat operators are unaware of.

'The DVD carries on the very successful boatingsafety campaign involving the ferry companiesand Maritime NZ,' said Mr Lott. 'Each summerthe companies have been giving out boating

safety packs to all who take a small boat acrossCook Strait on a ferry, so we're really thrilledthat so many people will be exposed to ournew educational safety message.'

Strait Shipping spokeswoman Wendy Pannettsays the company is keen to support thecampaign and help educate small boatiessharing the waterways with big vessels. 'We'vebeen working with Maritime NZ on thiscampaign for over a year by distributinginformation packs to all boaties travelling onour Bluebridge service, and the DVD is avaluable extension to this activity.'

Toll spokesperson Sue Foley said the companywas 'delighted' to support Maritime NewZealand by showing the DVD on its ships. 'Weappreciate the effort that has gone into puttingthe DVD together and we know it will go along way towards getting the safe boatingmessage across,' she said.

You can obtain a free copy of the Safe BoatingDVD series, which covers two hours ofeducational information, by contactingMaritime NZ's Recreational Boating team [email protected].

New Maritime New Zealand DVDCourtesy of Maritime New Zealand


Accidents and Incidents

A recent tragic accident in the USA promptsthis reminder about boating and alcohol. Twoboaters, out for a day of fishing, were return-ing to the boat ramp to load up for the day.Less than half a mile from the ramp they raninto a channel marker. Both men were thrownfrom the boat. One man survived; the otherdid not. Investigation of the accident turnedup several beer cans in the boat. Although thefinal investigation has not been concluded,there is a great possibility that alcohol playeda part in this accident.

Most boaters, even though they logically knowthat they should not drink and boat, don't un-derstand the enhanced effects that alcohol canhave on the water. Natural stressors such asexposure to sun, glare, wind, noise, vibrationand motion on the water produce 'boater's hyp-nosis' or fatigue. This in itself reduces reac-tion time almost as much as being under theinfluence. Adding alcohol to these environmen-tal stressors intensifies their effects.

Alcohol can decrease a person's ability tohandle a boat in many ways. As a depressant,alcohol goes straight to the nerves, bloodstreamand brain. As recreational boaters it is hardenough to remember all the rules, regulations,boat-handling techniques, etc. while lucid. Afew beers to quench the thirst in a rapidly de-hydrating body and the following happens.

Sense of balance erodes: Most boatingdeaths result from falling out of a small openboat, without a lifejacket, whether the boatcapsizes or not.

Vision fades: Because of the sun and reflectionof light, objects on the water can be hazy anddifficult to see. Colour perception and periph-eral vision deteriorate and at night depth per-ception decreases. You can imagine whathappens if you can't distinguish between thered and green markers (or worse, don't see themarkers at all) or red and green lights of anoncoming vessel at night.

Preventable tragedy: Reinforcing the dangers of alcohol and boatsCourtesy of Boatsafe.com - Nautical Know How, Inc.

Coordination suffers: Should a person fall intothe water they may have trouble just floating,let alone grasping onto a life ring or throwabledevice. Add the shock of the cold water and therisk of cramping, and the likelihood of drown-ing increases significantly.

Surface blood vessels dilate: Blood vessels onthe surface of the skin dilate to increase therate of body heat loss while in the sun. If,while these vessels are dilated, you fall over-board into cold water, hypothermia sets inquickly and this further reduces your deci-sion-making abilities.

Dehydration sets in: As the sun beats downand the body naturally tries to cool itself byexpelling perspiration to cool the skin, thebody starts to get dehydrated. Drinking alco-hol while dehydrated greatly enhances the rateat which the alcohol is absorbed.

Judgement is impaired: One of the things thatdrinking tends to do is to make you begin tolose your judgement. After a drink or two,people tend to become relaxed and are morelikely to perform dangerous acts that theymight not normally do if not under the influ-ence. Because their judgement is impaired,they may not even realise they are doing some-thing dangerous. This, combined with theother debilitating symptoms previously cov-ered, spells disaster.

One-third of all boating fatalities in the USAare alcohol related. It is illegal to operate a boat,or to permit others to do so, while under theinfluence of alcohol, narcotics or barbiturates.Penalties are severe and include fines of up to$5000, imprisonment of up to one year, non-paid public service work, and mandatory sub-stance abuse counselling. If an operator underthe influence kills or seriously injures anotherperson, the penalty can be up to five years inprison and a fine of up to $5000.


Accidents and Incidents

And in Papua New Guinea, alcohol killsAn update by Hugh Walton

New Ireland Province in Papua New Guinea'sIslands Region has a grim small-boat safetyrecord for 2006, with two major alcohol-relatedboat accidents causing multiple deaths.

In the first incident, a crowded 23 ftYamaha boat was making the returnevening trip from Kaut Harbour to Djal Is-land, a journey of some 10 nautical miles.It was blowing and rough, and mid-trip theboat operator decided to turn around andhead back to Kaut. Once the boat hadturned around, one of the passengers, re-portedly in an inebriated state, challengedthe operator and assumed control of thevessel, turning back in the direction of Djal.

Shortly thereafter the vessel was swampedand some 20 people were tossed into thesea. With darkness falling, the group of pas-sengers set out for the shore at Kaut. Itwas to be a grim night, with 10 passengersmaking it safely back to shore, four bodieswashed up at Kaut and six people missingand presumed dead. The commandeeringpassenger was one of the lucky ones.

The accident made page 3 in the nationalpapers with a headline saying '3 bodieswashed up', but there was no subsequent in-

vestigative action pursued by either provin-cial or national authorities. It seems that thereis no real political will to deal with this type ofincident in PNG.

The second incident, in July, was a virtual re-peat of the first, only it was the vessel operatorwho was under the influence of alcohol. Thevessel was on a trip between Kokapo in EastNew Britain and the west coast of Namatanaiin New Ireland Province.

In this instance it was reported that six per-sons drowned and eight managed to make itsafely back to shore, including the boat opera-tor. Following a police investigation, the boatoperator was charged with murder and is nowin Namatanai jail awaiting trial.

“Don’t increase the risk,stay sober at sea.”

In September 2000, SPC FisheriesTraining Section produced a postershowing what happens to fishermen

who go fishing after a drinking party.This cartoon poster adds to the

resource materials produced by theTraining Section, aimed at

reducing the number of small boataccidents in the region.


News from other placesand reader contributions

Sea safety project for artisanal fishermen in Nagapattinam and CuddaloreDistricts, January-June 2006

by John Swamy, National Boat Safety Consultant, UNDP

A sea safety project for increasing awarenessamong artisanal fishers in the tsunami-affecteddistricts of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore, TamilNadu, India, got underway in January 2006and ended in June the same year.

The project was funded by the European Com-mission for Humanitarian Aid and imple-mented by the United Nations DevelopmentProgram (UNDP) and the South Indian Fed-eration of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS), thelargest NGO working among artisanal fisher-men in southern India.

Background

The Bay of Bengal is considered one of themeanest seas in the world. Fishermen oper-ating in these waters lead a hazardous lifewith no safety equipment. Very little has beendone about the safety of artisanal fishermenin India. Most safety initiatives in the pastwere targeted at fishermen in largemechanised boats. This project is the firstinitiative on sea safety for artisanal fishermenon the Tamil Nadu coast.

The fishermen go out to sea in fibre boats andcatamarans using gill nets and hook and lines.All fibre boats and some of the catamaransare powered by long-tail outboard engines. Thefishermen carry no safety equipment except forthe sail rig that is carried by all boats as alter-nate propulsion. All fibre boats have a provi-sion for using drop keels to prevent drifting toleeward during sailing. Drop keels are also usedwhile on engines during strong winds.

The project

The project intended to increase awarenesson all issues concerning sea safety amongartisanal fishermen. Workshops were con-ducted in 16 villages in Nagapattinam and

Cuddalore Districts for more than 800 activeseagoing fishermen. Street plays were stagedin 38 villages across the two districts. An il-lustrated handbook, in Tamil, was publishedand over 8000 copies were circulated amongfisher communities.

Artisanal fishermen along this coast had neverbeen exposed to life-saving equipment suchas lifebuoys, lifejackets, GPS, lifeboat rations,radar reflectors, portable VHF radio and theheliograph. The workshops served as a plat-form to disseminate information regarding seasafety equipment and its usage, concerns andrelated problems faced by these fishermen.'We have never seen anything like this before,'said Selvan, a labourer in a fishing boat. 'We'veseen wireless sets with policemen but neverknew [they were] useful for fishing.' Selvanechoes the sentiments of the majority whoattended the workshops.

The Sethu Samudram Canal is an issue fisher-men will have to face in the near future. It willfocus merchant ship traffic along the inshoreregions, which are fishing grounds for artisanalfishermen. The increased traffic will mean a lossof nets and livelihood for these fishermen. Mer-chant ships and other large vessels may cut anet in two and proceed on their way withouteven being aware of it. During the workshops,fishermen learned how a simple radar reflectorcan make their boats and nets visible to shipradars. Radar reflectors must always be usedby small boats fishing in the vicinity of mer-chant ship traffic. In the case of fibre-reinforcedplastic (FRP) boats using gill nets, one more re-flector must be hoisted at the end of the net.

The use of the following safety equipment wasdemonstrated during the workshops:• survival rations• compass• jackknife


Safety NoticesNews from other places and reader contributions

• lifejacket• lifebuoy• first aid kit• sea rescue streamer• radar reflector• portable VHF radio• handheld GPS receiver• heliograph

It is not that the fishermen along this coast-line are not conscious of safety issues. Theycarry sail rigs, which consist of a bamboo mastthat is almost as long as the boat. They haveno qualms about carrying this rather cumber-some piece of equipment, though it is rarelyused. So the carriage of additional equipmentwas not met with any resistance. However, thecost of the equipment was a cause for anxiety.

Fishermen requested that SIFFS consider pro-viding the equipment with a subsidy, as thecost of some of the equipment was beyondtheir means. It was pointed out and generallyagreed during the workshops that essentialsafety equipment was not necessarily expen-sive and that the more expensive equipmentwas desirable as opposed to essential.

Safety strategies to prevent accidents were alsodiscussed at the workshop. Engine failure isone of the chief causes of stranding at sea,followed by unexpected changes in weather likesudden squalls. Loss of gear, border conflictswith Sri Lanka and other sea safety incidentsalso came up for discussion. Vital informationon fishing methods and night fishing tech-niques from a safety perspective was collectedfrom fishermen during the workshops.

Since the workshops were male centred andtargeting only seagoing fishermen, a street the-atre troupe was hired to target women andchildren. An appropriate script was developedfor staging street plays highlighting the impor-tance of sea safety. Plays were conducted in38 fishing villages in Nagapattinam andCuddalore Districts, reaching out to more than7600 individuals from fishing communities.

Over 8000 copies of a simple, illustrated hand-book in Tamil listing precautions to be taken

before going out to sea, while at anchor, whilefishing at night and during bad weather wascirculated among the fishermen. It also con-tains a safety equipment checklist.

Any awareness initiative on sea safety shouldbe followed up with an implementationprogramme. Responding to fishermen's re-quests at the awareness workshops for safetyequipment, SIFFS has initiated implementa-tion of the project in five villages inNagapattinam District: Kodiyakarai,Arcattuthurai, Vizhunthamavadi, Keez-hamoovarkarai and Poompuhar.

Fishermen in these five villages will now beable to acquire safety equipment with a sub-sidy. A safety kit comprising the followingitems of equipment will be made available tothese fishermen:• radar reflectors (2)• survival rations (2)• jackknife• lifebuoy• heliograph• compass• first aid kit• 20-litre container for emergency fresh water• lifejacket (optional)

Contact:

Michel BlancNearshore Fisheries Development

and Training SectionSecretariat of the Pacific Community

BP D5 - 98848 Noumea CedexNEW CALEDONIA

Phone: +687 262000Fax: +687 263818

email: [email protected]

John HoganRegional Maritime Programme

Secretariat of the Pacific CommunityPrivate Mail Bag

SuvaFIJI ISLANDS

Phone: +679 3370733Fax: +679 3370146

email: [email protected]

Want to find out moreon Sea Safety?


© Copyright Secretariat of the Pacific Community, 2006

All rights for commercial / for profit reproduction or translation, in any form, reserved. SPC authorises the partialreproduction or translation of this material for scientific, educational or research purposes,

provided that SPC and the source document are properly acknowledged.Permission to reproduce the document and/or translate in whole, in any form, whether for commercial / for profit ornon-profit purposes, must be requested in writing. Original SPC artwork may not be altered or separately published

without permission.

Original text: English

Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Marine Resources Division, Nearshore Fisheries Development and Training Section,BP D5, 98848 Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia

Telephone: +687 262000; Fax: +687 263818; [email protected]; http://www.spc.int/coastfish

News from other places and reader contributions

The total cost of the kit is Rs.6000 and SIFFSwill contribute 80% of this while the fisher-man contributes 20%. The kit is for use in FRPboats only.

Conclusion

The advent of engines ushered in the need forsafety among small-scale fishermen. Earlier,when boats were rowed or propelled by wind,fishermen went for only short trips offshoreand fished in sight of one another most of thetime. All traditional emergency responses wereupset with the introduction of engines. Thedepletion of inshore resources also added tothe risk. Now fishermen go greater distancesand isolate themselves from other boats andare helpless during emergencies. They are notaware of equipment that can help save theirlives during emergencies.

Many workshops, seminars and declarationshave been made about sea safety in TamilNadu, but this is the first time efforts havebeen made to introduce safety equipment anda safety culture among artisanal fishermen.Sea safety was discussed from a maritimeperspective with active, seagoing fishermen.

Of the many issues aired during the village-level workshops, loss of power due to enginefailure, unexpected changes in the weather andloss of way were found to be the chief causesof distress. Issues such as hunger and thirstexperienced by fishermen while stranded andadrift in the ocean also came up for discussion.

Through workshops, street plays and ahandbook in Tamil, the fishermen ofNagapattinam and Cuddalore Districts were

introduced to sea safety equipment and its useduring emergencies. Discussions, based onexperiences in emergency situations while atsea, were held with seagoing fishermen duringthe village-level workshops. Of the 11 piecesof safety equipment demonstrated, the GPSand the portable VHF radio were the mostwanted. The compass came next, closelyfollowed by the radar reflector, rescue streamerand heliograph. The men confessed to settingtheir eyes on such equipment for the first time.

Awareness drives should be stepped up andthe men need to be trained in the use of safetyequipment. Simultaneously, safety equipmentmust be made available at affordable costs andits carriage in boats encouraged. Inspectionsmust be conducted on a regular basis toascertain if the boats are conforming to basicstandards of safety. Sea safety incidents andaccidents have to be recorded so that a clearerpicture of the risks and dangers experiencedby fishermen will emerge.

Accidents will happen no matter what, butwe hold within us the power to reduce risksby taking properly planned and level-headedaction. Presently, artisanal fishermen haveno provisions for the safety of his their lifeat sea. Safety equipment does not guaranteesafety of l i fe, but it will bolster thehelplessness that prevails in times ofdistress and restore confidence during life-threatening situations.

international tools for improved fishing vessel safety

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