Marine Advisory: 09/2012 - Navigating in Western Indian coastal waters

Marine Advisory: 09/2012 Subject: Navigating in Western Indian coastal waters Dear Shipowner/Operator/Master;

The Director General of Shipping, Indian Ministry of Shipping, has published a notice entitled:

Navigation off the Indian coast - transgressing of fishing nets mistaking fishing boats with pirate skiffs.

When small crafts engaged in line or net fishing observe merchant vessels navigating toward their fishing nets or gear, they raise an alarm and may change course towards the merchant and in doing so, fishing vessels have been mistaken to be pirate skiffs.

Masters of Liberian flagged vessels operating within the Indian coastal/territorial waters are advised to;

1. take note of dense fishing traffic off the western Indian coast, and prepare for the possibility that they may be approached by fishing boats protecting their nets/lines and navigate with extreme caution
2. give wide berth in consideration of fishing nets, lines and small crafts
3. report sightings of any suspicious craft to the Indian Coast Guard
4. report the presence of armed security personnel to the Indian Navy

Indian Navy

Email: wncmocmb-navy@nic.in; Fax: +91 22 2266 1702

Indian Coast Guard

Email: mrcc-west@indiancoastguard.nic.in; indsar@vsnl.net; icgmrcc_mumbai@mtnl.net; Telephone: +91 22 2438 8065, 2431 6558, Fax: +91 22 2433 3727

DG Commcenter

Email: dgcommcentre@satyammail.net; dgcommcentre@vsnl.net

Telephone: +91 22 2261 0606; 2261 4646; 3295 9320 Fax: +91 22 2261 3636

For more information please contact the Security Department at telephone + 1 703 251 3434; email security@liscr.com; LISCR Duty Officer + 1 703 963 6216 email: dutyofficer@liscr.com

* * * * *

Enclosure: MS Notice No. 7 of 2012

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File. No. 35-NT(4)/2012

MS Notice No. 7 of 2012

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7th March 2012

Sub: Navigation off the Indian coast - transgressing of fishing nets -

mistaking fishing boats with pirate skiffs

1. Shipping traffic closer to western Indian coast has been observed to be steadily increasing during recent times as merchant ships appear to prefer planning their passage closer to Indian coast as against the straight courses across the Arabian seas.
2. There are over 300,000 fishing boats in operations off the Indian coast. Fishing off the coast of state of Kerala and Karnataka is particularly intense during post South West monsoon and extends up to 50 NM from the coastline. Generally in these waters, FRP Fishing boats with 04-05 crew with outboard motors operate and engage in fishing activity with long lines and purseine gear.
3. Increasing shipping traffic closer to the Indian coast causes the merchant ships to, at times, transgress the fishing nets. On observing the approaching merchant vessel onto their fishing nets/ gear, it is common for the fishing boats to raise alarm and to 'sail towards' the merchant ship to attract attention so as to avoid damage to their nets.
4. Reports are being received where merchant ships have mistaken the fishing boats to be 'pirate skiffs' In one such recent incident off the coast of West coast of India, Kerala, a merchant ship fired on the fishermen, killing two of the fishermen. The ship's security guards had assumed the innocent fishermen to be the pirates. In addition, there has been report of another report of firing of warning shots on Indian fishermen.
5. In another case, a merchant ship collided with a fishing boat. This resulted in sinking of the boat and loss of life of three fishermen while two of the fishermen are still missing. These unfortunate accidents have resulted in the detention of the suspected vessels and their crew members/ security guards involved. In addition to these two instances, there have been numerous reporting of near miss collisions of fishing vessels with merchant ships off the west coat of India.
6. It has been reported that merchant ships are transiting very close to the coast to avoid the High Risk Area (HRA) which starts at 12 NM from the Indian coast. When the merchant ships navigate close to the coast, they do have close encounters with the fishermen. This interface may result in either a collision with the fishing vessels or at times merchant ships mistaking the fishermen to be pirates, fire upon the innocent fishermen. Such close encounters may result in the adverse consequences for the fishing vessels as well as the merchant ships.
7. While the ships are advised to maintain best management practices as per the advice of IMO, while navigating in the high risk area, it is clarified that continuing heightened vigil of Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard has ensured that no cases of incidents of piracy have occurred m the Indian EEZ (up-to 200 NM from the Indian coast) since June 2011.
8. Therefore, all merchant vessels are advised;
   1. to take note of dense fishing traffic on Indian coast, the possibility that they may be approached by these boats for safeguarding their nets / lines and should not mistake these fishing boats for 'pirate skiffs' or PAGs and navigate with extreme caution when approaching up-to 50 NM from the Indian coast, and,
   2. to take cognizance of IMO Circular MSC. l / 1334 dated 23 Jun 2009 with regard to appreciating sufficient grounds for suspecting the fishing vessel to be a Pirate Action Group (PAG).
   3. to report sightings of any suspicious craft within Indian EEZ to Indian Coast Guard on contact details mentioned under para 7 below.
9. All merchant ships are further advised to report the presence of armed Guards on board to Indian Navy (email: wncmocmb-navy(ci>nic.in; fax: +91 22 22661702) / Indian Coast Guard (email: mrcc-west@indiancoastguard.nic.in or indsar@vsnl.net, or icgmrcc mumbai(c1Jmtnl.net ; Telephone: + 91 22 24388065,

24316558, Fax: +91 22 24316558, +91 22 24333727) in compliance to para

3.8 of IMO circular MSC. 1/Circ 1405/Rev.1 dated 16 Sept. 2011 and para 7.6 of Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India Circular F. No. SR-13020/6/2009-MG (pt) dated 29 Aug 2011.

1. This is issued with approval of Director General of Shipping.

[CaLpt. Har.ish Khatri)

(Dy. Director General of Shipping (Tech)