70% of fishermen have avoided calling the coastguard after an incident at sea

This September Seafood Cornwall Training carried out a new survey about marine accidents as part of our campaign to identify and remove barriers to fishermen reporting accidents at sea 

Our results revealed that 70% of respondents had avoided calling the coastguard after an incident at sea with only 15% confident that they would call the coastguard if they experienced a problem in the future.

But while these results clearly show that skippers and vessel owners do face barriers to reporting marine accidents our survey also revealed that 55% had called the coastguard following an accident at sea, with one respondent commenting: 

“It depends on the problem and if it is likely for it to become life-threatening.”

The main concerns that skippers and vessel owners reported having that caused them to avoid reporting accidents were the risks of vessels being restricted from going out to see again following an  MCA inspection that may follow an accident report.

One respondent explained: “The MCA / MMO restricts the movement of the boat and it’s not allowed to go back to sea for a significant period of time. They seem to make it up as they go along, there are massive differences in the surveyors standards and they aren’t working with the vessel owners. Restricting the boat from going to sea means no income from the families that rely on fishing.”

Another put the situation more bluntly: 

“Unless I’ve got to get in the life raft I wouldn’t call the coastguard. Mainly because of the backlash after. Automatic MCA inspection and risk of the boat being stopped going to sea etc. etc. I think 80% of fishermen are the same. I’ve towed several boats back to harbour in the last two or three years with not one contact with the coastguard on channel 16. Some skippers won’t even communicate on the VHF at all if they have a problem. It’s all done on mobile phones.”

To help vessel owners address concerns of vessels being restricted after inspection, Seafood Cornwall Training have offered free safety and risk assessment workshops, usually one-to-one, from Safety Adviser Clive Palfrey, to ensure that if a vessel does need to report a marine accident, their vessel will be ready for any subsequent inspection from the MCA.

“It’s been good to open up this conversation and allow fishermen to voice their concerns about this issue anonymously,” says Clive Palfrey. “We want to help. We can run workshops with vessel owners and skippers, one-to-one where necessary, to get all the paperwork and safety measures in order so that should they need to call the Coastguard, they will pass any follow-up inspection. A bit of time preparing now can save skippers from the concerns over calling for help and taking risks after an incident at sea.

If you would like more information or to request help with ensuring all your safety standards and paperwork are up to date, call Seafood Cornwall Training 01736 364324 or, Clive on 07967 009412 or email safety@seafoodcornwalltraining.co.uk

We’ve launched a new survey on Reporting Marine Accidents as part of our September campaign to remove barriers to fishers reporting accidents at sea.

Fill out our survey here:
www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/marine_accidents

Throughout this campaign, we aim to give fishermen the opportunity to share their experiences and concerns about reporting marine accidents at sea.

Fishermen, vessel owners and skippers will also be able to access a free safety audit from Safety Adviser Clive Palfrey, to ensure that if a vessel does need to report a marine accident, their vessel will be ready for any subsequent inspection from the MCA.

“We’re interested in finding out how many marine accidents are reported and providing a safe and confidential space for fishermen and vessel owners to discuss any concerns they have about calling the Coastguard,” says Clive Palfrey. “We’re also here to meet with vessel owners and help them make sure they have all the paperwork and safety measures in order so that should they need to call the Coastguard, they will pass any follow-up inspection, which has been a concern for some vessel owners.

We’ll also be sharing the survey and information on our social media channels. To find out more about the campaign, follow us on Facebook or Twitter at @SCTNewlyn.

Download them here:

Aide Memoire Under 15m

Aide Memoire 15-24m

Aide Memoire Over 24m

or visit the MCA website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/survey-and-inspection-of-fishing-vessels-chapter-1-annexes-msis-27