The North Irish Sea Array (NISA) offshore wind farm project is currently engaged in a benthic survey campaign off the coast of North Co Dublin, Meath and Louth.

Similar to the survey conducted last autumn, the campaign involves the deployment of benthic grab and drop-down video equipment from a survey vessel within the bounds of the proposed array area, and is expected to be completed by next Monday 9 May, weather permitting.

Survey works are being conducted by the survey vessel Husky (callsign 2EQI7). As this vessel is restricted in its ability to manoeuvre when surveying, due to the deployment of the grab sampler, other vessels are requested to keep a wide berth. A fisheries liaison officer is aboard the vessel for the duration of the survey campaign.

Contact details, a map and coordinates of the survey area can be found in Marine Notice No 23 of 2022, attached below.

The Air Corps advises that it will conduct air-to-ground and air-to-air firing exercises in the Gormanston D1 Air Range in Co Meath this week.

Mariners in the Irish Sea off Co Meath are given due warning that live firing will take place daily between 9am and 5pm from tomorrow, Tuesday 26 to Friday 29 April.

An Activation Notice (Danger Area D1 – Gormanston) was issued last week, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

The officer in charge of firing on each day will be fully briefed regarding communication between the firing point and the Air Traffic Control Centre at Dublin Airport.

In addition, the Naval Service will provide a patrol vessel to enforce the exclusion zone in the Irish Sea.

Irish offshore renewables survey company Ondine is undertaking geophysical survey works as part of a scientific data-gathering exercise for the Voyage Offshore Array in the Celtic Sea, south of Co Wateford.

The scope of this survey is the turbine array, which is located outside the 12-nautical-mile zone, and the current plan is to undertake surveys on only 50% of this area.

The works were scheduled to commence earlier this week will continue and will until 15 July, subject to weather.

The survey is being conducted from the research vessel DP1 Kommandor Iona (callsign GAAK) on a 24/7 basis. The vessel is towing geophysical equipment during operations and is restricted in its ability to manoeuvre.

All other vessels operating within the vicinity of the Kommandor Iona are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash. Radio transmissions will be conducted with other seafarers to notify them of the operations.

Further details on the survey area and contact information can be found in Marine Notice No 21 of 2022 attached below.

The Department of Transport has been advised that Kinsale Energy plans to undertake decommissioning activities on the subsea infrastructure in the Kinsale Head and Seven Heads gas fields.

These works are due to commence on or around Tuesday 10 May and are estimated to last 20 days, weather depending.

The operation will be conducted by the construction support vessel Skandi Constructor (callsign C6ZH8), which will be on VHF Channel 13.

Works will involve the use of subsea construction equipment on and around the subsea infrastructure, including remotely operated vehicles/equipment.

All vessels operating in its vicinity are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Coordinates of the works areas, contact details and more can be found in Marine Notice No 20 of 2022, attached below.

Russian vessels will be denied entry into Irish ports after this Saturday 16 April on the foot of sanctions from the European Union amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

As the latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport outlines, all Irish ports are directed to deny entry to any ship, yacht or recreational craft registered under the flag of Russia.

The ban also applies to any such vessel that changed the registration or flag of the vessel from the Russian Federation to another state on or after 24 February this year.

Exceptions may be made, pending approval by the relevant authorities, for the transport of fossil fuels; metals and chemicals; pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural and food products; and humanitarian purposes.

The ban is also waived in the case of a vessel in need of assistance seeking a place of refuge, of an emergency port call for reasons of maritime safety, or for saving life at sea.

Further details can be found in Marine Notice No 19 of 2022, attached below.

Fugro Germany Marine GmbH plans to conduct a cable route survey outside Irish territorial waters (12NM), but within the Irish EEZ, along the proposed Beaufort Cable System cable route in the Celtic Sea.

Geophysical and geotechnical operations on the planned cable route are expected to be carried out from Thursday 28 April until Sunday 15 May, weather and work progress permitting.

The survey will be conducted by the Fugro Supporter (callsign C6EC3) on a 24-hour basis. As this vessel will be towing survey equipment as well as conducting stationary work, it will be restricted in ability to manoeuvre.

Mariners are advised to keep continuous watch on VHF radio Channel 16 when navigating the area, to keep their distance and to pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

Details of coordinates for the survey area and contact information can be found in Marine Notice No 18 of 2022, attached below.

Britannia’s Gold Ltd is currently undertaking subsea exploration activities off the North West coast.

Marine survey and salvage works commenced this past Monday 28 March and are expected to continue until Thursday 14 April, subject to weather conditions.

Works by vessel-mounted equipment and ROVs are being conducted from the MV Olympic Challenger (callsign LAZQ7) which is listening on standard VHF throughout the project.

The vessel will be severely restricted in its ability to manoeuvre and as such a wide berth is requested. All vessels transiting and working in the area are requested to keep a minimum of one nautical mile CPA at all times.

Details of the relevant coordinates and contact information can be found in Marine Notice No 17 of 2022 attached below.

Green Rebel Marine will undertake a geophysical survey campaign for an offshore wind farm in the North Celtic Sea from next Tuesday 29 March to the end of May, weather permitting.

The survey will be conducted on a 24-hour basis by the Roman Rebel (callsign 2ICA5), which will display appropriate lights and signals.

The survey will utilise multibeam echo sounders, sub-bottom profilers, side-scan sonars, magnetometers and ultra-high-resolution survey equipment, both hull-mounted and towed.

Typically, the towed cable lengths will be about four times the water depth while acquiring survey data.

Mariners are advised to keep continuous watch on VHF Channel 16 when navigating the areas of operation, coordinates of which are detailed in Marine Notice No 16 of 2022 attached below.

All vessels operating in the vicinity of these operations are requested to keep their distance and pass at minimum speed to reduce vessel wash.

The latest Marine Notice from the Irish Maritime Administration notes that as of 00:01am on Sunday 6 March, the COVID-19 travel requirements set out in SI No 45 of 2021 and SI No 135 of 2021 have been revoked by the Department of Health.

This means that there is no longer a requirement for any person travelling to Ireland to have:

• a completed passenger locator form;
• evidence of having been fully vaccinated;
• evidence of recovery from COVID-19; or
• evidence of a negative/not-detected result from a RT-PCR/Antigen test.

The department requests that all port authorities take note of this change and remove any signage associated with such requirements.

Passenger ferry operators are also requested to remove any signage related to the above restrictions from onboard vessels, to update their websites accordingly and to advise passengers scheduled to travel in the short term of the changes to travel requirements.

Queries in relation to this Marine Notice can be addressed to [email protected].

Marine Notice 16 of 2021 is withdrawn.

Marine Notice No 14 of 2022 advises that the Department of Transport has published a new revision of its Code of Practice for Small Fishing Vessels.

The Code of Practice sets the standards of safety and protection for all persons on board small fishing vessels, of less than 15 metres length overall, which are required to have a sea-fishing boat licence.

It is based on the voluntary instruments on safety at sea, jointly published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The new revision refreshes the presentation of the previous revision, updates its references to legislation and Marine Notices and incorporates many safety improvements which have been derived from recommendations of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, as well as from the department’s Maritime Safety Strategy (2015) and the Report of the Working Group on Safety, Training & Employment in the Irish Fishing Industry (2015).

Finally, the new revision has taken into account the responses that were received to the public consultation on the draft Code of Practice, which took place in November-December 2021.

The Code of Practice is available from the Department of Transport website. Alternatively, you may request either an electronic or printed copy by sending an email to [email protected].

The most recent listing of the approved Panel of Surveyors and their contact details is available from the department’s website, and also in Marine Notice No 01 of 2021, or from the Marine Survey Office at [email protected].