A step in the right direction to prevent marker buoy incidents
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport issue a Marine Notice for Appropriate Marker Buoys/Ropes when Engaged in Pot Fishing for Lobster, Crab or other Fish or Shellfish, along with advisory sheet for good practice.
Thanks for listing to our sailors DTTAS.
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Marine Notice No. 10 of 2019
Notice to all Shipowners, Fishing Vessel Owners, Agents, Shipmasters, Skippers, Fishers, Yachtsmen, Seafarers and all those engaged in Pot Fishing
Advice re Use of Appropriate Marker Buoys/Ropes when Engaged in Pot Fishing for Lobster, Crab or other Fish or Shellfish
NOTE: This Marine Notice supersedes Marine Notice No. 26 of 2016 which is now withdrawn.
The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport reminds all vessel owners, agents, shipmasters, skippers, fishers, yachtsmen, seafarers and those engaged in pot fishing about the risks of vessels’ propellers becoming entangled in ropes of marker buoys used to indicate the position of pots used for fishing lobster, crab, or other fish or shellfish. This can occur because the length of rope used to fix marker buoys is too long, resulting in the line floating on or just below the surface.
The use of too long a line of rope can result in a situation where even vessels that have taken a wide berth around marker buoys could have their propellers fouled by the rope.
In addition, the Department reminds those engaged in pot fishing not to use unsuitable ‘floats’ (e.g. empty drink cans, plastic bottles, dark-coloured floats, etc.), which offer poor visibility and/or could be mistaken for floating debris.
Fishers who carry out pot fishing (whether commercially or non-commercially) are reminded of their obligation to other users of the sea.
Furthermore, non-commercial pot fishers are reminded of the regulations made by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine covering such activity (S.I. No. 31 of 2016 Non-Commercial Pot Fishing (Lobster and Crab) Regulations 2016), which inter alia limits the numbers of pots permitted per boat to a maximum of six, and such pot fishing to the months of May to September.
Any mariners who spot any marker buoys/ropes (or any other object) in the water, which is deemed to represent a danger to navigation, should communicate information on same to other vessels in the area and to the Irish Coast Guard, or to the local competent authority so that a hazard warning can be issued if appropriate, and any required follow-up action can be taken.
The Annex to this Marine Notice contains a guide for fishers and other users entitled ‘Good Practice Guide to Pots and Marker Buoys’.
Marine Notices are issued purely for maritime safety and navigation reasons and should not be construed as conferring rights or granting permissions.
Irish Maritime Administration,
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport,
Leeson Lane, Dublin 2, D02 TR60, Ireland.
01/05/2019
For any technical assistance in relation to this Marine Notice, please contact:
The Marine Survey Office, tel: +353-(0)1-678 3400.
For general enquiries, please contact the Maritime Safety Policy Division, tel: +353-(0)1-678 3418.
Written enquiries concerning Marine Notices should be addressed to:
Maritime Safety Policy Division, Dept. of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Leeson Lane, Dublin, D02 TR60, Ireland.
email: marinenotices@dttas.gov.ie or visit us at: www.dttas.gov.ie