The Department of Transport wishes to bring to the attention of all fishing vessel owners, agents, skippers and fishers to the report published earlier this year by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) into the sinking of the FV Horizon off the Old Head of Kinsale last year.

Afloat.ie reported this past April on the MCIB report into this incident, which took place on 14 May 2021, which concluded that an unattended electronic device on charge may have caused an extensive fire that engulfed the vessel. The full report may be obtained from the MCIB website.

In response to one of the report’s recommendations regarding the maintenance and testing of fire detection systems, Marine Notice No 55 of 2022 reminds all owners, operators, skippers and crew of fishing vessels of 15-24m in length overall of the following:

• The mandatory requirements for fishing vessels in accordance with S.I. No. 640 of 2007 – Merchant Shipping (Safety of Fishing Vessels) (15-24 Metres) Regulations 2007, especially regarding automatic fire alarm and fire detection systems testing procedures which are to be carried out in accordance with Section 9.2.5.2 of the International Code For Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code). In particular, detectors should be periodically tested using equipment suitable for the types of fires to which the detector is designed to respond. Operators and Skippers of existing vessels not fitted with such an approved system should satisfy themselves that any fire detection and alarm system that is fitted is maintained in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions and is regularly tested.