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Tuesday 30 November 2021

Free safety guide for fishing vessels.





Free safety guide for fishing vessels



Preparing and presenting your vessel properly for inspection or survey will save you both time and money. Forward planning and preparation could make the difference between success and failure. This leaflet sets out useful advice to help ensure that your next inspection or survey is a successful one. Applying for inspection or survey Apply early to your local Marine Office. Your inspection or survey can begin up to six months before your Fishing Vessel Certificate expires. Your local Marine Office can advise you of this date of expiry if you are unsure. Organise your inspection or survey to limit the number of visits the inspector or surveyor must make. If your vessel is well prepared, then most inspections or surveys can be completed in one visit.

For all those fishermen in the south west, Clive at Seafood Cornwall Training Clive is here to help:

Contact 07967 009412 or safety@seafoodcornwalltraining.co.uk

Under 15m LOA Vessels

For vessels of less than 15m Length Overall (LOA) the first visit to inspect the vessel against MSN 1871 is free, but any return visits will be charged for. Vessels of 15m LOA and over

Most surveys on vessels of over 15m can be completed in two visits. The most efficient order for these surveys is an ‘out of water’ survey followed by an ‘afloat’ survey.

Ensure your Marine Consultant conducts stability checks while the surveyor is conducting the afloat survey as and when applicable. The surveyor will advise you what tests are required. 2

Relevant Codes

Before you start, check which type and length of vessel you are operating so that you comply with the relevant Code requirements. Note that the Codes may be amended. You should check that you are using the most current amendment.

> Less than 15m LOA – MSN 1871

> 15m LOA to less than 24m Registered Length (L) – MSN 1872

> 24m L and over MSN 1873

Our Marine Office contact details can be found on gov.uk.



MSN 1871 allows vessels of less than 15m built before 16 July 2007 to be considered by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) for Registration as fishing vessels. As part of the process MCA requires evidence that such vessels are safe and suitable for commercial fishing.

Since 2007, this evidence has been provided to the MCA by Seafish, whose surveyors (at the vessel owner’s expense) survey such vessels against Seafish Construction Standards and submit their report to the MCA for consideration.

Seafish ceased undertaking these surveys on 1 December 2017. MCA now oversees these surveys, which are conducted by Authorised Surveyors on behalf of the MCA. This Notice sets out the processes now in place to deal with vessels wishing to Register as fishing vessels.