NZ’s TRANSPORT ACCIDENT Investigation Commission has found the 2023 loss of the 25.6-metre steel-hulled trawler Austro Carina occurred after the master left the bridge to assist with fishing operations.
The 1977-built vessel, owned by Pegasus Fishing Limited, had departed Lyttelton in the early hours of 24 September 2023 and had conducted a series of trawling runs off the coast of the Banks Peninsula. The master had regularly moved between the bridge and the deck to assist the three-person crew with nets and the catch, absent from the bridge for 5-10 minutes at a time.
At about 2054, Austro Carina made a sharp uncontrolled turn to port and was about 0.16 NM from land, tracking directly towards shallow waters. The master rushed to return to the bridge but could not prevent the trawler running aground on the rocky shore at the base of a cliff face.
The four crew followed recently-practiced procedures, abandoned the vessel, took shelter on shore, and activated an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). The Rescue Coordination Centre’s response resulted in a quick rescue by helicopter.
The vessel suffered extensive damage. Stranded on a difficult-to access rocky shore, it quickly broke up and became unsalvageable. Its insurer declared it constructive total loss.
In a nutshell, TAIC found the vessel stranded because it was on a turn that took it toward land and nobody was in the wheelhouse to stop it happening.
“The master had started a slow turn to starboard while hauling the net then left the wheelhouse to help the crew with fishing activities, without turning on navigation aids and watchkeeping alarms.
“Had the master maintained a continuous navigational watch, it is virtually certain they would have adjusted the vessel’s course and speed, avoiding the stranding.
“It appears leaving the wheelhouse uncrewed for periods of 5–10 minutes was normal. The company’s instructions to the master and watchkeepers were not explicit on the matter.
“It is about as likely as not that the crew lacked situational awareness of the vessel’s route, so did not challenge the master leaving the wheelhouse to assist on deck.”
TAIC found watchkeeping standards and practices on Austro Carina failed to ensure safe navigation while the crew were fishing.
“International standards require watchkeepers to give stranding and safe navigation the same importance as collision (see International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F)).
“Despite this, Maritime NZ’s seafarer competency framework and the vessel operator’s safety management system prioritised collision avoidance over stranding and safe navigation.
“This is not adequate. It increases the risk of watchkeepers on fishing vessels not always maintaining a safe navigational watch when fishing. The Commission’s report details MNZ’s work to address this issue. These reforms are work in progress, and the Commission has recommended that MNZ address this issue.”
The Commission has also recommended Pegasus Fishing Limited address concerns over its safety management system, watchkeeping standards, and the need for crews to have a well-balanced combination of skills and experience.
