Source: Maritime New Zealand
Maritime NZ has been working with the commercial and recreational fishing sectors to develop safety information for recreational tuna fishers on the West Coast, where large commercial vessels fish for Hoki.
The tuna season has already started, and recreational fishers travel to the West Coast to go after game fish, primarily for bluefin tuna up until around September.
This is a migratory fishing season, and the bluefin tuna feed on hoki which is fished by commercial trawlers, meaning recreational fishers may try to get close to trawlers.
“We all want people to come home safely after a fishing trip. This can be done by understanding the environments they’re operating in, keeping clear of large trawlers and other commercial vessels fishing, keeping safe while on the water, and keeping watch,” Maritime NZ’s Principal Advisor – Recreational Craft, Matt Wood says.
“A recreational vessel carrying fishers might be between six and 10 metres in length. This is substantially smaller than a large commercial fishing trawler, which can range from 40m to over 100m, with trawling nets that can go out as far as 300m from the stern when they’re being pulled in.
“This poses a significant risk for recreational fishers if they get too close. They could get entangled in a net or involved in a collision with a much larger vessel.
“Staying clear of these large vessels helps keep the recreational vessels safe. Recreational vessels must stay well clear of commercial vessels that are fishing. While keeping watch also ensures the skipper can quickly react should a risk arise with other vessels, or the environment.
“Remembering to keep safe, keep clear, and keep watch is the best way to avoid harm while on the water,” Matt says.
Communication is also an important mechanism to understand the movements of vessels in the area.
“Recreational fishers can talk to the skipper on a commercial fishing trawler to understand what they’re doing. In the first instance, they should contact the commercial vessel using VHF Channel 16, and then agree which working channel to switch to (for example, Channel 10).
“Recreational fishers also need to adhere to the rules of the water.
“Everyone needs to keep watch, use navigational lights, and follow the ‘give way’ rules.
“Over and above the unique risks of fishing around trawlers, these standard boating safety steps are critical to being able to come home safe.
“To keep safe, fishers should wear their lifejacket, have two waterproof ways to call for help that work in the area they’re operating in, know the marine weather forecast, and avoid alcohol while on the water,” Matt says.
