informed the captain. The captain stopped the vessel to conduct a search
and rescue and alerted two nearby Taiwanese fishing vessels to assist with
the rescue. The search lasted 72 hours, but the missing crew member was
not found due to the area's poor visibility caused by fog. The TTSB noted
that inadequate preventative measures during fishing and sea operations
have led to multiple fatal overboard incidents. This case marks the eighth
time the TTSB has recommended that authorities require appropriate safety
measures or the mandatory wearing of life jackets for crew members during
sea operations. 54
On March 24, 2023, the Taiwanese-flagged fishing vessel Sheng Feng
No. 266 was operating in international waters approximately 540 nautical
miles northwest of Rabaul Port, Papua New Guinea. An Indonesian crew
member collapsed in the freezer hold while processing the catch. He was
discovered by colleagues but was pronounced dead despite rescue efforts.
In October of the same year, the Taiwanese-flagged Kuo Tong No. 3 fishing
vessel was conducting Pacific saury fishing operations in international
waters approximately 630 nautical miles northeast of Kushiro Port, Japan.
A Filipino crew member sustained a severe laceration to his left shoulder
after being caught in the roller of a starboard winch. The captain
immediately halted fishing operations and sent a team to administer first
aid. Upon assessing the severity of the injury, the captain decided to
transport the crew member to a hospital in Kushiro Port. Despite two hours
of emergency treatment onboard, the crew member did not survive.
The TTSB noted that distant water fishing vessels often operate in
fishing grounds located more than two days’ travel from shore. In the event
of severe injuries or acute illnesses, crew members cannot receive
comprehensive and professional emergency medical care promptly due to
limited medical resources onboard. This affects the timeliness of treatment.
The TTSB's investigation report highlighted several areas for
TTSB, “Major Marine Occurrence Investigation Report on the Chun Yi No. 6 Fishing Vessel,”
p. 3, February 23, 2024.
54
59