No. 7 of 2021 - PRECAUTIONS WHEN NAVIGATING THROUGH FISHING VESSEL AREAS IN AND AROUND NINGBO-ZHOUSHAN PORT, CHINA

MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF

SINGAPORE

SHIPPING CIRCULAR TO SHIPOWNERS

NO. 07 OF 2021

MPA Shipping Division

460 Alexandra Road

21st Storey mTower

Singapore 119963

http://www.mpa.gov.sg

01 May 2021

Applicable to: This circular is for the attention of ship owners, ship managers,

operators and masters of Singapore Ships

Precautions when Navigating through Fishing Vessel Areas in and around

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, China.

Maritime Safety Administration (MSA), Ningbo, China has developed an

updated Advisory Note to provide guidance for vessels to navigate safely in the

coastal waters of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, China.

1. The ship owners, managers and operators are encouraged to ensure that

the masters and navigating officers of Singapore registered ships are familiar with

the attached updated Advisory Note (See Annex).

1. This circular supersedes Shipping Circulars No. 11 of 2020.
2. Any query relating to this circular should be directed to Capt Farhad Iftekher

(Tel: 6375 6209) or email to shipping@mpa.gov.sg.

CHEAH AUN AUN

DIRECTOR OF MARINE

MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE

Annex

Ningbo, China MSA’s Advisory on Navigating in Fishing areas

Dear Captain:

Hello, welcome to Ningbo-Zhoushan port!

Ningbo coast is the “T” intersection for China Yangtze River economic

belt and China coastal transport. This intersection is a busy maritime

highway, rich in fishery resources, and complex meteorological and

hydrological conditions. In order to ensure a good maritime transport

system, and the safety of ship navigation, we provide special reminders

as follows:

Ⅰ. Safe Navigation in Fishing Areas.

a. Every year, fishing season for the East China Sea commences on 12:00

September 16 to 12:00 May 1. This includes trawlers using spar drag

method for shrimp, pots cast method, gill nets method and lighting

enclosure (cladding) net method, fishing season commencing from at

12:00 August 1 to 12:00 May 1.

b. The Ningbo coastal route inter-cross with the East China Sea

fishing zone, with fishing vessel navigating mostly in formation or

operating in concentration. It is common for fishing vessels to operate in

pairs using trawling method, long lining and bottom trawling in the night,

fishing net cast using buoy or at anchor. In addition, fishing vessels have

a custom of crossing the bow of the large vessel for good luck.

c. Vessels should as far as possible alter the ship’s course to avoid and

maintain safe distance from areas with heavy concentration of fishing

vessels. Vessel should not cut across areas where fishing vessels are

congregated.

d. When navigating in fishing concentrated areas, the vessel should

increase the navigation watch team with additional lookouts, maintaining

safe speed and with all engines readily available. In close quarter

situation, vessel should use ship horn, signaling light, and any means of

communication or navigational aid to prevent the risk from further

escalation.

e. When navigating in fishing concentrated areas, it is advised to pay

close attention to signal lights of fishing vessels. The vessel should

response in a timely manner to declare that the watch on the bridge have

noticed the fishing vessels when the fishing vessel give flash light signals

to the bridge of the merchant vessel (at least 5 times generally). When

the flash light of the fishing vessel is directed to any of its sides, it

indicates that there are fishing nets on that side. The vessel should avoid

passing the same side.

g．When an incident occurs, aside from reporting to the company

Designated Person Ashore (DPA), the vessel should report the incident

to the nearest China MSA office directly or through the vessel agent and

to the Flag Administration.

Ⅱ. Ningbo Coastal Fishing Vessels Operating Characteristics

Ningbo coastal fishing ground common fishing methods are: light purse,

double drag, single drag, drag shrimp, sail net, crab cage, stream net,

submarine string and small purse seining net. A brief introduction on the

fishing method that has impact to safe navigation:

(1)Trawling

There are mainly two kinds of trawling methods, twin trawler (Diagram

A) and single trawler (Diagram B).

Diagram A – Twin trawler

Twin trawling refers to two separate fishing vessels, dragging in a fixed

distance corresponding the hanging fishing nets. The trawl is 400-

500 meters in length, deep into the water, trawl speed under normal

weather conditions 3-4 knots. Shooting and hauling the net usually

during night hours or near daybreak, when the crew will be busy on the

deck, with deck lights shining on them.The lights and shapes for trawling

is as follows:

① by daytime, a shape consisting of two cones with their apexes

together in a vertical line one above the other near the top of the

mast;

② by night, two all-round lights in a vertical line, the upper being

green and the lower white, and side navigational lights at the aft

masthead, and stern light;

In addition to the lights prescribed in paragraph②

③ when shooting their net, two white lights in a vertical line;

④ when hauling their net, one white light over one red light in a

vertical line.

A single trawler is a fishing vessel alone, dragged a fish net using side

and stern tow. Trawling speed is approximately 4-6 knots. The

identification mark coincides with the double trawling method.

Diagram B – Single trawler

Advised action:

For double fishing trawling vessels, your vessel is to maintain from their

stern no less than 1 nautical mile and by no less than0.5 nautical miles

on each side. Your vessel is to maintain safe distance when crossing the

fishing vessel’s bow and is prohibited to cut across the middle of a double

fishing trawling vessel operation. For single drag fishing trawling

vessel, your vessel should take the same precaution and avoidance action

as per double trawling fishing vessels.

The vessel is to pay attention and avoid the side of the fishing trawling

vessel, especially when the vessel is retrieving or casting net, do expect

sudden and frequent change of course. We recommended your vessel

keep a minimum distance of 0.5 nautical miles away from the fishing

trawling vessel.

(2) Drift net fishing

Drift net fishing (Diagram C) is expanded vertical mesh net cast in water,

having a wide area of operation, from one to several nautical milesin

diameter. The net is mark with buoys and flags, and flag pole with

flashing light for night operation. One end of the net going downstream

direction, is attach to the bow of the fishing trawler. The bow of the

fishing trawler marks the direction and position of the fishing. The

fishing vessel and the fishing net are drifting based on the wind

direction. The means to identify driftnet is acolumnbuoy, buoy and/or

flag, and flag pole with flash lights at night on the calmer sea surface.

The top surface of the pontoon or buoy, and fishing vessel can be

detected by the radar, forming almost into a straight line on the screen.

Diagram C – Drift net

Advised action:

Your vessel should maintain at least 0.5 nautical miles away from this

fishing trawler, and is prohibited from sailing close to the fishing trawler

bow, and maintain at least 1.0 nautical mile away from the fishing trawler

when the driftnet has been cast.

In the event, that your vessel is in close proximity of the drift net, the

vessel should immediately stop all engines to avoid the net being

entangled on the propeller, and hopefully allow the vessel to coast across

the fishing vessel’s net using inertia. The Master or officer on watch

should maneuver with caution, using the vessel’s inertia to bring the

vessel to a stop position.

(3) Purse seine fishing

Purse seine fishing (Diagram D) is a method using a long strip of net to

surround a school of fish. It usually consists of one casting vessel, two

lighting vessels and a fishing vessel for transport purpose. The net length

ranges from 980-1200 meters, and covers approximately 350m

diameter. Purse seine fishing can be identified with a vertical display of

an all-round red light above an all-round white light in vertical, and in

the direction of the fishing net, a network shows a white light indicating

the net position.

Advised action:

Vessels should keep a minimum safe distance 0.5 nautical miles from the

upstream direction of the purse seine fishing trawler.

Diagram D –

Purse seine

(4) Stretch net fishing

The time of stretch net fishing is determined by the tide and current.

In general, fishing vessels place their nets around neap tide and

retrieve them around spring tide, the duration lasts about 12 days.

Exercise areas of these fishing vessels are not fixed, in the first half

of the year they mostly operate in the area from 28°N to 32N, 122°E

to 124°E, in the second half of the year from 30°N to 32°N, 124°E

to 126°E.

Advised action:

Cargo vessels should learn the fishing vessels net areas by means of

AIS net position indicators. Collision avoidance are to be taken at

earliest opportunity. It is suggested to either maintain distance from

this type of fishing nets or sail through between the net areas (the

width of in between areas will be approximately 1000 meters).

(5) Glaring fishing

There are fishing vessels fit with glare device shining upon the

surrounding sea surface to attract catch. Fishing vessels like this

operate separately and travel in groups. The illumination can be

extremely powerful during group operation. Commonly the fishing

vessels stay still or drift with the current, they are easy to be spotted

even outside a distance of 12 nm. It may interfere with vessels’

lookout to identify proper lighting signals because of fishing

vessel’s glaring light.

Advised action:

Cargo vessels should enhance to use long and short range of radar

observation. Analysis of fishing vessels’ operation situation is to be

made at earliest opportunity. Adjust vessels’ route as appropriate and

avoid entering fishing vessels’ concentrated areas.

Good Practices by Merchant Ships

Navigation and navigation methods

1. Pay attention to and implement relevant safety information letters

issued by the flag state government (if any) on navigation and

operation habits of fishing boats along the coast of Ningbo;

1. Pay attention to and implement the safety information issued by

the maritime administration and delivered by ship agency of

destination port via e-mail and other forms;

1. Navigate within the main recommended coastal routes along the

coast as much as possible;

1. Pass clear of fishing boats at a range of more than one nautical

mile as much as possible;

1. When navigating through a dense area of fishing boats, the control

should be switched to manual, and the captain should be in

command on the bridge;

1. Do not occupy VHF channel 16 for a long time. If necessary, calls

should be established on other channels;

1. Do not overly rely on navigation equipment and AIS device for

navigation, make full visual observation and radar observation;

1. While on duty, avoid checking mobile phones, chatting and things

irrelevant to the watch.

Signal lights and shapes

1. Master signal lights, shapes and ship characteristics of Chinese

fishing boats in various operating modes as much as possible;

1. When seeing a fishing boat or noticing successive flashlights

from a fishing boat, sound whistle and light searchlight several times

at the fishing boat to signal that someone is on the bridge on duty,

and the fishing boat has been seen;

1. After establishing communication with a fishing boat, if the

fishing boat turns the searchlight to the side or to the back, it means

that there is fishing net in the direction, and seafarers should avoid

the area as much as possible while navigating.

Coordination and avoiding

1. The speed of the fishing boats in operation is about 3-4 knots.

Avoiding actions should be made as early as possible and with an

angle as large as possible;

1. In addition to calling via the VHF channel 16, whistle, flashlight

and other means should be used to draw the attention of the fishing

boat ahead and nearby;

1. When avoiding fishing boats engaged in fishing operations,

avoid the nets as much as possible as well;

1. Make full use of radar, AIS device and other equipment, or check

the effectiveness of avoiding actions through visual observation to

ensure a safe passing.

Rescue of danger

1. In the event of a dangerous accident, dial 12395 as soon as

possible to report the dangerous situation, including the name of the

ship in distress, casualties, damage of the ship, oil pollution, weather

and sea conditions, etc.;

1. After a dangerous accident occurs, the first priority should be the

rescue of the human life. Seafarers should give all-out assistance,

and escape is strictly prohibited;

1. When a distress or a help call is received, seafarers should stop

the ship in time to rescue people in distress, and ask nearby ships to

participate;

1. If a person is found in the water, lifebuoy, life jacket, and

insulation suit shall be tossed in time, and the rescue boat/raft should

be released if necessary.