Communiqués

TSB # M 03/2003

THE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA RECOMMENDS STRENGTHENING OF THE SAFETY CULTURE WITHIN THE FISHING INDUSTRY - REPORT NUMBER M01L0112

(Gatineau, Quebec) 8 September 2003 - The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) today issued one recommendation in its final investigation report on the accident involving the flooding of the scallop dragger Alex B. 1 off Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec, on 29 September 2001.

Around 1000 on 29 September 2001, while the Alex B. 1 was dragging for scallops in fine weather off Havre-Saint-Pierre, water was discovered in the engine compartment. All compartments from the stern to the accommodation area were flooded. Four bilge pumps were started up but the rate at which water was entering the vessel exceeded the capacity of the pumps.

No one was injured during the occurrence, nor was there was any damage to the environment. Structural damage to the dragger, which had occurred during fishing operations, was found to be a major cause of the accident.

During the course of the investigation, on 08 February 2002, the TSB sent a Marine Safety Information Letter (MSI 01/02) to Transport Canada, advising that the investigation had revealed deficiencies with regard to:

• communication with fishers via Ship Safety Bulletins;
• the inspection regime for small fishing vessels; and,
• modifications to fishing vessels not reported to the authorities.

Transport Canada, the regulatory agency, has indicated its intention to address these issues.

Although improvements have been made in regulatory and training requirements over the years, the fishing industry appears to have lagged behind the commercial sector in the development of a safety culture. The Board has therefore recommended that:

Transport Canada, in coordination with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, fisher associations and training institutions, develop a national strategy for establishing, maintaining and promoting a safety culture within the fishing industry.

(M03-02)

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.

The report M01L0112