Home News and Resources News China 17 Jun, 2021 China: MSA Issues Safety Guidelines to Prevent Collisions with Fishing Vessels Dean Crossley Head of Loss Prevention Asia In 2020, approximately 17,000 fishing vessels operated in Chinese coastal waters, including the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the South China Sea. Given the large number of fishing vessels that merchant ships may encounter during transit, Masters and navigational officers must conduct a thorough passage plan with clear instructions provided by the Master to the bridge team officers for such interactions. Download PDF The Chinese Authorities enforce a fishing moratorium between 01 May and 16 August within their territorial waters, a yearly operating ban on Chinese fishing vessels during this period. When the suspension lifts, it significantly increases the density of fishing vessels operating within these waters. Due to the large number of collisions involving merchant and fishing vessels within Chinese coastal waters, their Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) has issued safety guidelines to alert merchant shipping of the collision risk. When planning a passage to a Chinese port or proceeding through Chinese coastal waters, the navigational officers and Master must use all available means to ensure safe berth-to-berth transit. Highlighting areas on the passage plan where there is the expectation of a high concentration of fishing vessels can significantly assist the bridge team when they conduct their navigation watch. Furthermore, in areas deemed to have potentially heavy concentrations of fishing vessels, the Master should consider increasing the bridge team's manning levels and always be contactable when required to assist the officer of the watch (OOW). China's MSA has recommended that if a vessel is not calling to Chinese ports, her transit route should be undertaken to the east of Taiwan because there are fewer fishing vessels and more sea room available for manoeuvring compared to the