AMSA announces simplified safety requirements for inshore vessels
Following a comprehensive consultation process in 2020, The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has announced a range of simplified safety equipment requirements for small inshore vessel operations.
AMSA received feedback from fishing vessel operators that the safety equipment requirements for small fishing vessels operating close to land are impractical to apply and don’t reflect the risks of their operations.
AMSA has now created two new equipment lists for non-survey vessels that are less than 12 metres long, work close to land and operate either under Exemption 2 (certificates of survey) or Exemption 40 (class C restricted operations).
WAFIC, in conjunction with the Southern Seafood Producers (WA) submitted a comprehensive submission outlining safety equipment requirements that were agreed and supported by the Department of Transport (WA) in 2013.
Consultation feedback can be viewed here.
The new safety equipment requirements apply to two different groups of vessel operations.
- Non-survey vessels operating in warm waters (defined as North of Coral Bay – latitude 23.5º South) and within two nautical miles of land can be viewed here;
- Non-survey beach fishing vessels operating within 200 metres of land (If you transit beyond 200 metres of land to reach your operational area this equipment list is not applicable to your vessel) can be viewed here.
If you operate under these conditions you don’t need to apply the equipment lists.
Simply make sure you carry all the equipment currently required.
Further information can be by contacting AMSA at [email protected] or phoning AMSA Connect on 1800 627 484.