Laying pots near a main channel can be attractive because the areas are rarely fished, usually in sheltered water, and are easy to access. However, CHIRP frequently receives reports about vessels becoming snagged on pot lines which have been poorly marked. In this case, the marker was an empty 2-litre plastic milk carton.

Fishers sometimes use floating line because even if the marker buoy is lost, the string of pots can often be recovered. However, it presents a snagging hazard, particularly at low tide, which is why port authorities prohibit it. Where the laying of pots within harbour limits is allowed, they should be laid away from the main channel so that the riser is kept well away from the channel.

Losing control of a vessel inside a busy harbour can easily cause collision into moored or passing boats or an uncontrolled grounding. Both can result in a pollution incident which would close the port. For these reasons, CHIRP discourages laying pots near main navigational routes

The engineer failed to isolate the system completely and thought activating the emergency stop would prevent the system from operating. CHIRP contacted the company and received very positive feedback on how they would ensure that this type of incident would be prevented from happening again.

CHIRP was informed that the risk had been identified in the risk assessment for this work; it did not include Lock Out, Tag on, Tag off (LOTOTO) procedures which were only available for work on electrical systems and not on equipment with moving parts. The company have made changes to include this safety procedure for all equipment with moving parts.

Everyone must be briefed on planned maintenance work at the daily work planning meeting to ensure that conflicting work activities can be rescheduled and that adequate time and resource is allocated to the task. Because no one else was aware of the engineer’s intentions, the incident outcomes could potentially be even more severe.

In this scenario, the fisher was fortunate to be spotted by a passing sailing vessel. Wearing a flotation device was crucial because it reduced the effort required to remain afloat so that they could conserve energy.

When fishing single-handed, CHIRP advises that a ladder is rigged to aid self-rescue or a floating messenger line attached to a lifebuoy streamed from the stern and next to the ladder. Fishers are also strongly encouraged to wear a waterproof hand-held VHF radio or (even better) a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB), which can alert the emergency services if you fall in.

This near miss highlights the potential risks that can arise during maintenance and hoisting operations: even when good inspection and upkeep routines are in place, equipment can fail, and incidents can happen. Proper equipment inspection is crucial to identify worn parts early to minimise the risks of unexpected failures. Signs of wear include dark or rusty parts of the rope, breaking strands (‘hairy rope’), or the rope’s diameter narrowing. Keep the crew clear while the equipment is hoisted or lowered to minimise crushing, entrapment, or wire ‘snap-back’ risks.

Use the required PPE during hoisting operations, like safety helmets. When lifting, avoid the sudden onset or release of tension: either can cause high shock dynamic loading, causing rope failure. Be aware of the maximum load that is allowed for the hoisting equipment in use

The causes of this incident were present a long time before it happened. By allowing smaller vessels to ignore the requirement to radio for permission to enter or leave, deficiencies in the ports monitoring or detection systems went unnoticed. Potentially, the reduced emphasis on radio communication from small vessels made it less likely that fishing vessels would carry a spare radio, and possibly meant that the failure of the primary radio went unnoticed. In any case. The port did not detect the inbound vessel and granted the RO-RO permission to leave its berth.

The activities involved in entering or leaving a harbour likely distracted the bridge teams on both from their primary task of keeping a good lookout to detect the risk of collision (Collision Regulations rule 5). In any event, even when risk of collision was determined, neither vessel took the correct action to avoid collision (rules 8 and 17).

Items of historic ordnance are occasionally caught in nets in many parts of the world that have experienced previous (or ongoing) conflicts, making the already hazardous work of commercial fishers even more dangerous.

While submerged in water, the components within explosives can separate and become extremely unstable if they dry out. Other chemicals, such as phosphorus, can spontaneously ignite in contact with air, creating toxic fumes.

In this instance, the ship’s crew were unaware they had unexploded explosives on board. But if you are in doubt, do not touch it or try to throw it back over the side. Keep the crew as far away as possible, increase your vessel’s watertight integrity by closing all weather-tight and water-tight accesses and contact your regional emergency services and follow their directions. Reduce your speed and steer a course that minimises boat movement. More guidance has been published by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency in MGN 323 (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/440107/323.pdf)