Safety faults criticised as fishermen escape death

UP to 33 fisherman were lucky not to die in the space of just four days off the Irish coast after their vessels sank due to major safety faults.

On January 19, a fire broke out on board the 33-metre, UK-registered fishing vessel, Shark, which at the time was engaged in long-line fishing approximately 119km west-north-west of Malin Head.

Initial attempts by the 15 crew to fight the fire were hampered by a loss of fire-fighting water when electrical supplies were burnt through and because the emergency fire pump was defective. The captain tried to starve the fire of oxygen, but he was hampered by faulty ventilation isolating valves, and had to stuff rags around the ventilation terminals. The fire was extinguished when the Irish naval vessel, LE Eithne, arrived on scene and transferred a fire party.

Four days later, Royalist, a 36-metre UK-registered fishing vessel carrying 18 crew, was about to shoot her nets approximately 290km off Dingle when she was hit by a large wave which caused her to heel. The vessel was beginning to right herself when she was hit by a second wave. The crew had to abandon the vessel. The French vessel, Damafran, fishing about 8km to the south, heard the distress message and immediately cut her nets and went to the stricken vessel. It rescued all 18 crew before the vessel sank.

The Irish Transport Federation said the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report on the two incidents was a wake-up call for the fishing industry.

The report into the sinking of the Shark found the fire was probably of electrical origin, caused by arcing from a cabin electrical supply cable.The fire detection system had been intentionally disabled, and much of the emergency equipment was in poor condition.

For the Royalist, the board said the 18-member multinational crew did not share a common language and no familiarisation training or emergency drills had been carried out.

“While the price of fish continues to rise for consumers, seafarers are subjected to poor conditions and paid wages that would not sustain anyone in a land-based job,” said ITF inspector Ken Fleming. “Economies on equipment, training and pay are all too often paid for with the lives of seafarers.”