As per the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of P.R.C (MOA), the fishing ban in the East China Sea and the South China Sea between 26°30′N and 12°N will be lifted starting from 16 Aug 2022, see below illustration on different waters of China.
Areas and periods of fishing ban in China
In order to regulate the ships' navigation order in Fujian waters (including ports of Ningde, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou) and prevent from collisions between merchant ships and fishing boats, the Fujian MSA together with Fujian Ocean and Fishery Bureau (“FOFB”) announced the 1st batch of High Risk Warning Areas of Collision between Merchant ships and Fishing boats on 11 Aug 2022, basing on AIS track data and analysis results of collisions between merchant ships and fishing boats along Fujian coast in the last ten years. The above warning covers 10 coastal areas. Please refer to the following illustration:
Translation of 10 high risk warning areas in Fujian waters issued by Fujian MSA and FOFB
The main risks in these warning areas include some or all of the following aspects:
1. The overlapping of merchant ships' route with the fishing boats’ operational waters.
2. The high density of merchant ships and fishing boats.
3. Merchant ships' routes are close to the waters of the fishing ports, and merchant ships' routes meet the traffic flow of the inbound and outbound fishing boats.
4. Collisions between merchant ships and fishing boats have occurred frequently over the years.
The specific coordinates of the 10 warning areas announced by the Fujian MSA and FOFB is listed in the table below:
Our suggestions to ships
1. Get familiar with the starting times and ending times of the fishing ban periods. Carry out relevant safety training on the characteristics of fishing areas and fishing boats.
2. Avoid the traditional fish farms and fishing areas. When choosing a route, ships shall be properly away from shore, apply the recommended routes carefully and strictly obey the relevant ship routing system.
3. Fully comply with relevant provisions of COLREGS 1972 and Safety Management System, ensure there is proper and sufficient lookout, keep a safe speed and take early avoidance actions.
4. In the process of avoiding fishing boats, ship officers shall consider the particular operational characteristics of the fishing boat involved. If effective radio communication cannot be established between the ships and the fishing boats, all other available means shall be used to warn the fishing boats of the risk of collision.
5. Be familiar with the Safety guidelines for preventing from collision between merchant ships and fishing boats in Chinese coastal waters issued by China MSA on 06 May 2021. (See attached our free translation)
6. In case a collision incident occurs or is suspected to have occurred, rescue operation shall be immediately carried out taking into consideration various factors such as safety of the ship and her crews, the surrounding environment etc. Meanwhile, the ship shall contact the nearest VTS/MSA via VHF or their emergency telephone no. +86 12395 as soon as possible. The ship’s agents and P&I correspondent should also be informed.
Source: Oasis P&I
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Xinde Marine News.
Please Contact Us at：
media@xindemarine.com
