Vessel Report Is Premature, Say Relatives – Fishupdate.com

Vessel Report Is Premature, Say Relatives Fishing Monthly Published:  13 June, 2003

THE Marine Accident Investigation Branch makes 17 recommendations to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in its report on the January 2000 sinking of the Scottish scallop fishing vessel Solway Harvester published today.

Many of these have already been implemented by the agency in the course of its work to improve safety in the fishing industry.

The report recommended “immediate action” in promotion of safe practice and enforcement of safety requirements on the four main areas of concern raised by the loss of the Solway Harvester:

– the watertight integrity of main decks

– the service history of liferafts

– the correct installation of liferafts

– crew completion of the mandatory basic safety training courses

But a spokesman for the relatives of those lost in the sinking said that the report should not have been published until ongoing legal proceedings in the Isle of Man involving the vessel’s owner have been completed.