MCA and Police Scotland crackdown on fishermen who flout safety

The joint operation between the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Police Scotland found a number of fishing boats which didn't meet acceptable safety standards.

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Officers and surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and Police Scotland have detained one fishing boat and banned two other vessels from fishing following inspections.

The boats were boarded in Troon Harbour in Scotland as part of Operation Clean Seas.

It comes following a number of complaints and reports received about substandard vessels, non-qualified crews and crews operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

The on-going operation was also supported by MCA enforcement officers, Borders & Immigration Police, Marine Scotland and the HM Coastguard volunteers on the vessel, MCA Hunter.

A total of eight vessels were inspected during the five hour operation and while a number of vessels were found to meet acceptable standards, some were found to fall well short of the legal requirements.

This resulted in the detention of the vessels.

In addition, five improvement notices were issued for crew that were not properly trained.

Two crew were also removed from fishing vessels for having no safety training qualifications at all.

The marine surveyor at Glasgow Marine Office, Bill Forsyth, said: “This is yet another example of successful multi-agency cooperation leading to significant results in the fight to keep our seas safe. Our first priority will always be the safety of those at sea and we will continue to target those operating substandard vessels and employing unqualified crew.”

“We want to send a stark message to those who flout the laws on maritime safety. Fishing is a dangerous job. For the safety of all those working in the industry, operators must ensure their vessels are up to standard and that the crews on board are appropriately qualified,” stressed Forsyth.

“(The) operations has resulted in one vessel detention and two vessels prohibited from fishing and we will not rule out further inspections or activity as we continue our investigations,” he continued.

“We are committed to working with our partner agencies to protect those at sea by stopping dangerous vessels making their way on the water, and to hold accountable those responsible,” concluded the marine surveyor.

Community policing inspector for Troon, Inspector Alister Kelly, led the involvement of Police Scotland.

“We all know that fishing is a hazardous job. Poor vessels, poorly qualified crew and poor equipment makes an already dangerous job a potentially deadly venture,” highlighted Inspector Kelly.

“Keeping people safe is at the heart of what we do and this includes working with our partners to keep people safe at sea. We will continue to work successfully with the MCA and others to ensure that our local community is as safe as possible for those who live, work and visit Troon,” he added.

The operation took place on 9 September 2016.