Border Guards and Inspections on the Baltic. Increasing control of fishing units

Checks on fishing boats in the Baltic Sea and the Vistula Sea are becoming more frequent. The Marine Border Guard Division and the maritime safety services pay attention not only to fishing documents but also to emergency equipment, means of communication and crew qualification.

More and more control on the Vistula

Recent activities of the Marine Border Guard Branch officers show that the services are increasingly looking at the safety of fishing units operating in coastal waters. Only in recent weeks have several boats and fishing boats been returned to ports after serious irregularities have been detected.

The loudest case concerned the inspection carried out on 5 May by a control group from the SG-045 unit of the Kashubian Border Guard Squadron on the Vistula Basin. Officers found no STCW certificates, rescue measures, important pyrotechnics and VHF radio. Additionally, the outboard engine was not compatible with the unit's safety card. The Border Guard ordered an immediate cessation of fishing and return to the port of Stara Pasłęka.

A similar situation occurred in late March when officers checked the fishing boat with New Belt. The deficiencies in the required documents and crew qualifications were also revealed.

Maritime safety under more pressure

From a service perspective, the problem is not only about administrative formalities. Lack of rescue measures, poor communication or untrained crew may have a direct impact on human safety working at sea.

The Border Guard stresses that cases of:

• expired emergency equipment,
• the absence of lifeboats and lifesuits,
• non-compliance of units with safety cards,
• operating units without the required powers,
• infringements of fisheries and environmental legislation.

Particular attention is paid to the Vistula Basin, where border regulations and the proximity of the Russian maritime border are also important alongside the issue of maritime safety.

Several services are involved in the activities

Controls carried out in the Baltic Sea and in fishing ports today cover a much broader range than a few years ago. In addition to the Marine Border Guard Division, they are also attended by the maritime administration and sea fishing inspectors.

According to the information of the Master Maritime Fisheries Inspectorate, inspectors are not only responsible for checks fishing boats, but also places of landing, transport and marketing of fish. In practice, this means increasingly tighter supervision of the entire chain of fishing activities.

Old Units and Growing Requirements

Interestingly, the problem often concerns small local operating units whose owners have been operating according to old standards for years. Meanwhile, safety, communications and crew qualification regulations are much more restrictive today than a decade ago.

For part of fishermen, this means additional costs related to the equipment of units, training and maintenance of documentation. However, safety of shipping and reducing the risk of accidents to coastal waters.

The Border Guard is increasingly controlling fishing boats in the Baltic Sea and the Vistula Sea. Services are checking documents, emergency equipment and means of communication, because the safety of crews and shipping depends on these elements.