Vessel and equipment

Safety at sea is very dependent on how the actual vessel is designed and constructed as well as on the equipment carried onboard.

FAO, ILO and IMO Publications

FAO, ILO and IMO are providing guidelies, conventions and codes in relation to fishing vessel safety. The publications below are jointly produced by FAO, ILO, and IMO and are available on-line at the IMO publishing bookshop.

The Revised fishing vessel safety code and voluntary guidelines

The CODE OF SAFETY FOR FISHERMEN AND FISHING VESSELS (Part A), 2005.

The purpose of part A of the Code is to provide information with a view to promoting the safety and health of crew members on board fishing vessles. This part of the Code may also servwe as a guide to those concerned with framing measures for the improvement of safety and health on board fishing vessels but is not a substitute for national laws and regulations.

The publication is available on-line at the IMO publishing bookshop.

The CODE OF SAFETY FOR FISHERMEN AND FISHING VESSELS (Part B), 2005

The purpose of part B of the Code is to provide information on the design, construction, and equipment of fishing vessels with a view to promoting the safety of fishing vessels and safety and health of the crew. The Code is not a substitute for national laws and regulations nor is it a substitute for the provision of international instruments in relation to safety of fishing vessels and crew although it may serve as a guide to those concerned with framing such national laws and regulations.

The publication is available on-line at the IMO publishing bookshop.

The VOLUNTARY GUIDELINES FOR THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENTOF SMALL FISHING VESSELS, 2005.

The purpose of these Guidelines is to provide information on the design, construction, and equipment of small fishing vessels with a view to promoting the safety of the vessel and safety and health of the crew. They are not intended as a substitute for national laws and regulations but may serve as a guide to those concerned with framing such national laws and regulations.

The publication is available on-line at the IMO publishing bookshop.

IMO Publications

The Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels

The Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, was adopted in 1977 at a conference held in Torremolinos, Spain, and was the first-ever international Convention on the safety of fishing vessels. The 1977 Convention contained safety requirements for the construction and equipment of new, decked, seagoing fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over, including those vessels also processing their catch. Existing vessels were covered only in respect of radio requirements.

The publication is available on-line at the IMO publishing bookshop.

Basic safety equipment

Various FAO publications related to Fishing vessel construction, guidelines, and equipment.

Guide to simple repairs of FRP boats in a tropical climate Project reports (not in a Series) MAG27		2010
TRAINING MANUAL on the construction of FRP beach landing boats Project reports (not in a Series) REP119		2010
Building small wooden boats in Myanmar - 12 ft and 18 ft Multi-purpose boatsImmediate Rehabilitation of Subsistence Fisheries Livelihoods in Areas Affected by Cyclone Nargis (OSRO/MYA/805/SWE) Funded by the Government of Sweden Project reports (not in a Series)		2009
Fishing boat construction: 4 - Building an undecked fibreglass reinforced plastic boat FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper T507		2009
Safety at Sea - Safety Guide for Small Fishing Boats- BOBP/REP/112 Project reports (not in a Series) REP112		2009
The fishing fleet in Aceh Province, Indonesia RAP Publication 2009/09		2009
Guidelines on improved boat building practices in Sri Lanka Non serial publications		2008
Voluntary guidelines for the design, construction and equipment of small fishing vessels - 2005 Non serial publications		2008
Code of safety for fishermen and fishing vessels - 2005. Part A - Safety and health practice Non serial publications		2006
Code of safety for fishermen and fishing vessels - 2005. Part B - Safety and health requirements for the construction and equipment of fishing vessels Non serial publications		2006
Boat Building in the Tsunami affected areas of Aceh and Nias - Fishing Vessels Quality Issues - Livelihoods - Indonesia - Tsunami - December 2005Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Non serial publications FAO Tsunami 12-05		2005
Fishing boat designs: 2. V-bottom boats of planked and plywood construction (Rev.2) FAO Fisheries Technical Paper T134Rev.2		2004
Training in Sea Safety Development Programmes - 4 Project reports (not in a Series) No.4		1998
Fishing Boat Construction: 3. Building a Ferrocement Fishing Boat FAO Fisheries Technical Paper T354		1995
Chandi Boat Motorization Projects in Bhola, Bangladesh and Their Impacts - BOBP/REP/64 Non serial publications REP64		1994
Building a liftable propulsion system for small fishing craft .The BOB Drive - BOBP/MAG/14 Project reports (not in a Series) MAG14		1993
Developing and Introducing a Beachlanding Craft on the East Coast of India - BOBP/REP/54 Non serial publications REP54		1993
Development of Canoes in Shri Lanka - BOBP/REP/59 Non serial publications REP59		1993
Introduction of New Outrigger Canoes in Indonesia - BOBP/REP/57 Non serial publications REP57		1993
Safety at Sea - A Safety Guide for Small Offshore Fishing Boats - BOBP/MAG/16 Project reports (not in a Series) MAG16		1993
Data from Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS).

More publications could be found at the FI website.

Relevant material

Publications

Small Vessel Safety Guidance Booklet

6 September 2011 The Small Vessel Safety Guidance Booklet, developed by SeaFish, and endorsed by the MCA, the Small Vessel Safety Guidance Booklet was created because of concerns in the industry about safety aboard small vessels measuring under 15m length overall. [more...]

Small Vessel Risk Assessment

5 September 2011 The risk assessment sheet has been developed for use on small fishing vessels under 15m length overall. The risk assessment sheet has been developed by SeaFish and endorsed by the MCA. [more...]

The Fishing Vessel Safety Folder

4 September 2011 The Fishing Vessel Safety Folder was created by Seafish in response to concerns in the industry about risk assessments. The object of risk assessment is to consider the risks to health and safety, and to take action to prevent or reduce the risk. [more...]

Guidance booklet for the safety folder

1 September 2011 Guidance booklet for the safety folder. Developed by SeaFish. [more...]

FAO/ILO/IMO Safety Recommendations

17 January 2011 The Final Draft of the FAO/ILO/IMO Safety Recommendations for decked fishing vessels of less than 12 metres in length and undecked fishing vessels, October 2010. The safety recommendations, applying to fishing vessels under 12 metres in length, will complement the revised Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels, 2005 (applying to vessels over 24 metres in length), and the Voluntary Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Equipment of Small Fishing Vessels, 2005 (applying to vessels between 12 and 24 metres in length). [more...]

Posters

Small boat safety checklist

4 February 2009 Poster for small boat safety checklist, SPC. [more...]

Videos

last updated: Friday, January 28, 2011