GRACILÁRIA - Very Serious Maritime Casualty
Vessel: GRACILÁRIA
GAMA reference: 2013-028
Data da ocorrência acidental: 10-03-2013
Circulated on: 10-12-2014
Published on: 27-01-2015
Casualty Event: Foundering
Summary
On 10 March 2013, while GRACILÁRIA was recovering a bottom longline off São Jorge Island, the gear sinker became snagged on the seabed. The old hauler continued to apply tension, causing a severe heel to port. The gear was neither disengaged nor cut, and a larger wave capsized the vessel. All four crew members were thrown into the water without lifejackets and could not access the lifesaving appliances stored inside the cabin. The liferaft was not aboard. One crew member survived after approximately 15 hours in the water and three crew members died.
Safety recommendations
SR 23.2013-1: Assess establishing, jointly, procedures to ensure that fishing-port managing entities have permanently updated information on the certification status of fishing vessels registered in the Azores, preventing vessels that do not meet statutory safety and certification requirements from proceeding to sea, and maintaining a shared, updated record of maritime and non-maritime personnel serving aboard those vessels. No response status is recorded in the report.
SR 23.2013-2: Assess establishing a permanent vessel-movement recording system at the fishing ports and fishing centres under the Regional Secretariat’s responsibility, showing whether vessels are in port or have proceeded to sea and their intended fishing area. No response status is recorded in the report.
Lessons learned
When fishing gear becomes snagged on the seabed, tension should be removed immediately by disengaging or cutting the gear; a knife should be readily accessible near the working area; haulers should be protected against overload; lifesaving appliances should be operational, accessible and arranged for automatic release; lifejackets should be worn during operations; departures and intended fishing areas should be recorded; vessels without valid certification should not proceed to sea.