Safe Navigation near Marine Aquaculture Farms Steering clear: ensuring safe navigation around expanding marine fish farms Risk alerts Nahush Paranjpye Published: October 03, 2025 Contact author Download article pdf Navigating in proximity to fish farms, and other marine aquaculture installations, presents significant risks for navigation officers and vessel operators. With the growing distribution of these facilities along coastal waters and further offshore, the hazards to safe navigation — including collisions, damage to vessels or farm equipment, environmental pollution, and legal or financial consequences — have increased. The Club’s Risk Alert RA 119 provides essential guidance to support Members and mariners operate safely in these areas. The Risk Alert highlights the importance of thorough voyage planning, including the identification and marking of aquaculture zones and restricted areas on navigational charts, the need to maintain a sharp lookout and compliance with local regulations and reporting requirements. The alert also highlights the risks associated with human factors, equipment limitations, and over-reliance on AIS data, outlining best practices to minimise these risks. By following these recommendations, vessel operators can reduce the likelihood of an incident, protect the marine environment, and ensure that both vessel and aquaculture operations continue without disruption.   Read full Risk Alert now Supportive Information For further information on this or other Loss Prevention topics please contact the Loss Prevention Department, Steamship Insurance Management Services Ltd. Tel: +44 20 7247 5490 Email: loss.prevention@simsl.com Filter by RA119 – Safe Navigation near Marine Aquaculture Farms View RA103 - Safety of Navigation - China Coastal Waters View RA71 – Navigation Safety Lookout View Risk Alert 119