Communiqués

TSB # M 20/96

(For release 19 December 1996)

(Hull, Quebec) - The Transportation Safety Board (TSB), in its final report on the sinking of the fishing vessel "PACIFIC BANDIT", has identified safety deficiencies concerning small fishing vessels: lack of crew awareness of factors affecting stability, and lack of crew preparedness for emergency survival at sea. The Board has made four (4) marine safety recommendations to address these deficiencies.

During the early morning of 11 February 1995, the 17 m fishing vessel "PACIFIC BANDIT" was off the west coast of Vancouver Island, B. C., heading toward Tofino, B.C., with approximately 23,000 kg of fish on board. The wind and sea conditions were such that the vessel began shipping and retaining seas on the main deck. The vessel listed to starboard, downflooded, capsized and eventually sank. Two crew members were swept overboard; the other two abandoned the vessel and managed to board the liferaft. Three of the four crew members were later rescued; the fourth succumbed to hypothermia and drowned.

The Board determined that, while operating in moderate sea conditions, the "PACIFIC BANDIT" capsized when positive transverse stability was lost due to the cumulative effect of the shipped seas retained on deck, the stowage of the catch, the free surface effect of liquids, and downflooding to the below-deck spaces. The poundboards in position on deck were not fitted with a means of quickly draining shipped sea water; the poor condition of the seals on the deck scuttles allowed sea water to leak into the fish holds; and the free movement of the fish above the penboards in the hold reduced the transverse stability as the vessel rolled. The open weathertight doors and the broken galley windows accelerated the downflooding, which continued until the vessel lost all reserve buoyancy and sank.

Small fishing vessels like the "PACIFIC BANDIT" make up the overwhelming majority of the Canadian fishing fleet. In the last decade, 238 fishing vessels of less than 150 gross tons have foundered or capsized in Canadian waters; at least two thirds of them were less than 15 gross tons. The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) has issued numerous safety publications on vessel stability and unsafe operating practices. The occurrence statistics would indicate that the message is not getting through to those who are actually operating or crewing these vessels. The Board contends that many crews of fishing vessels may not fully appreciate that their day-to-day operating procedures and some seemingly minor vessel defects may be creating unsafe conditions. The Board therefore recommended that:

The Department of Transport, in conjunction with other government departments, agencies, and organizations, immediately undertake a national safety promotion program for operators and crews of small fishing vessels to increase their awareness of the effects of unsafe operating practices on vessel stability. [M96-13]

For the longer term, the Board further recommended that:

The Department of Transport conduct a study to identify the extent of unsafe loading and operating practices used by fishermen on small fishing vessels, with a view to developing guidelines for the safe operation of small fishing vessels. [M96-14]

The frequency of small fishing vessel capsizings continues to be a cause for concern. These capsizings continue in spite of considerable safety action by Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard. The TSB notes that the survival of fishermen is still being jeopardized due to a lack of knowledge and training in the use of life-saving equipment; the message is not getting through. The Board believes further action on previous recommendations

[M92-06] on formal training in life-saving equipment and survival techniques; and [M92-07] on the carriage of anti-exposure worksuits/survival suits is necessary. Therefore, to ensure that fishermen have a reasonable expectation of survival following abandonment, the Board recommended that:

The Department of Transport explore alternative means of communication to encourage crews of small fishing vessels to train in the use of life-saving equipment. [M96-15]

In the past year and a half, at least four other fishing vessel occurrences, with the loss of two lives, have been reported to the TSB in which problems regarding the use of liferafts have been identified. The survival of crews, when abandoning ship at sea, depends largely on the capability and reliability of their survival equipment, as well as on their familiarity and skill in using that equipment. In 1993, the Board addressed shortcomings in the design of liferafts with respect to their stowage and accessibility [M93-03] and ease of boarding [M93-12]. However, as evidenced in the five recent occurrences, crews' lack of familiarity with the use of liferafts continues to put seafarers at risk. The Board has therefore recommended that:

The Department of Transport encourage the owners and crews of small fishing vessels to conduct realistic emergency abandonment drills on a regular basis. [M96-16]

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency operating under its own Act of Parliament. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.