Paris MoU pilot on PSC on Fishing Vessels 02.03.2024 15:34Paris MoU pilot on PSC on Fishing Vessels requires all addressed parties to ensure that fishing vessels are always maintained and within standards. Given the accident statistics and the increasing regulations of fishing vessels, the Paris MoU is conducting a pilot on PSC on Fishing Vessels to evaluate whether it could be of added value to implement a harmonized approach to port State control on internationally operating fishing vessels of 24 meters and above. Upon completion of the pilot period, a report will be submitted to the Paris MoU Port State Control Committee for further analysis
and decision.
This pilot will be conducted in 2024 and 2025 and will be held by a limited number of Paris MoU members: Canada, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and United Kingdom.
Participants of this pilot will take into consideration the following nine (9) criteria and context:
1. Any internationally operating fishing vessel will be visited only once a year, unless specific signals that a ship is substandard would give reason to do otherwise.
2. A port State control visit is based on the rights of the port State as set out in international conventions which state port State control can be enforced.
3. The visit is also for information purposes and may be used to raise awareness and inform the fishing industry of the convention requirements, where appropriate.
4. Parties participating in the pilot are flexible in visiting fishing vessels. No specific targeting methodology is used.
5. The collection of information will cover general information, ship particulars and compliance at a general level relating to safety, environmental requirements and living and working conditions in force in current conventions.
6. Current conventions in effect which will be at least taken into account are: SOLAS, MARPOL (Annex I, IV, V, VI), STCW-F and ILO 188.
7. In this pilot project of gathering information, general remarks, not specifically based on a convention requirement can be recorded as well, if deemed appropriate for information and evaluation purposes.
8. Should a Port State Control Officer (PSCO) consider it necessary to detain the fishing vessel, due to non-compliance related to currently applicable conventions, the PSCO will detain the vessel based on national legislation.
9. The principles applied within the Paris MoU related to undue delay of the vessel and the code of good practice (attached) are also applicable during the pilot project.
All Fishing Vessels currently trading within the Paris MoU region or intended to call any port of any Paris MoU member participating in the pilot shall always maintained the vessel within national and international standards as well as to understand that its vessel can be inspected at any time and the frequency will be subject to the Port State Control Authority. The existing maintenance plan onboard is to be revised to ensure that all aspects are covered.
