Collision between pair trawlers Fertile II and Aquarius resulting in Fertile II sinking
Location: High seas.
Completed PE Summary: Fertile II/Aquarius
A short summary of the accident and action taken:
| Fishing Vessel 1/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel name | Fertile II |
| Registered Owner and Manager | Buckie Inshore Fish Selling Co Ltd |
| Port of Registry | Banff |
| Flag | UK |
| Type | Trawler |
| Built | 1999 |
| Construction | Steel |
| Gross Tonnage | 251 |
| Date/Time | 28/08/2005, 1304 |
| Location of Incident | Foreign high seas |
| Incident Type | Collision |
| Injuries/Fatalities | None |
| Damage/Pollution | Ship Lost |
| Fishing Vessel 2/Accident Details | |
|---|---|
| Vessel name | Aquarius |
| Registered Owner and Manager | MB Aquarius Ltd |
| Port of Registry | Banff |
| Flag | UK |
| Type | Trawler |
| Built | 1994 |
| Construction | Steel |
| Length Overall | 20.8m |
| Gross Tonnage | 189 |
| Persons Onboard | 5 Crew |
| Injuries/Fatalities | None |
| Damage/Pollution | Minor damage |
Synopsis
Two steel trawlers were pair trawling together and making their last haul before returning to shore when they collided, resulting in the sinking of Fertile II. All the vessel’s crew were rescued and returned to port safely, onboard Aquarius.
Action taken
The Chief Inspector wrote to the skipper of Aquarius regarding the standard of lookout, communications and maintenance procedures and to the skipper of Fertile II regarding the standard of lookout, communications, use of life saving equipment and the use of VHF in the initiation of a mayday call.