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The ‘Suzanne II’ on fire in the Irish Sea on 02 May 2019
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport wishes to bring to the attention of all Irish fishing vessel owners/operators, skippers, fishers and seafarers a recent report published by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board into the marine casualty involving the fishing vessel “MFV Suzanne II”.
The full report may be obtained from the website of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board at www.mcib.ie.
In response to the Marine Casualty Investigation Board’s recommendations, the purpose of this Marine Notice is to remind vessel owners of the following:
Owners of all vessels have a legal obligation to operate their vessels in accordance with the law and must make themselves aware of the regulations applicable:
- S.I. No. 587/2001 – Fishing Vessel (Basic Safety Training) Regulations, 2001 requires all fishing vessel crew members to undergo Basic Safety Training;
- S.I. No. 48/1993 – Merchant Shipping (Musters)(Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1993 & S.I. No. 640/2007 – Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15 – 24 Metres) Regulation s 2007 requires the Skippers of Fishing Vessels to draw up muster lists for their vessels and exercise the crews of their vessels in the use of lifesaving appliances and fire fighting appliances carried on their vessels;
- S.I. No. 640/2007 – Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15 – 24 Metres) Regulations 2007 regulates the safety of fishing vessels and their crew in the 15 – 24 m length category.
Part 8 in the regulations requires that inspections of life-saving equipment and fire appliances are made at least monthly. A report of the inspection is required to be entered into the logbook.
Furthermore, in relation to fire detection and alarm systems, the Department recommends the guidelines on testing and inspections in the enclosed.
Incident Involving the Fire and Total Loss of a Fishing Vessel 15 – 24m in length.
The skipper of every Irish Fishing Vessel has overall responsibility for ensuring his/her crew know the location of firefighting equipment on the vessel and are instructed, trained and drilled in the use of such equipment. For more detailed information on drills please consult Marine Notice No.40 of 2018.
Finally, please consult Marine Notice No. 49 of 2019 for additional fishing vessel safety information and recommendations.
Note: Marine Notices are issued purely for maritime safety and navigation reasons and should not be construed as conferring rights or granting permissions.
