Canada's 2024 fishing vessel inspection campaign

Transport Canada has issued Ship Safety Bulletin No. 16/2024, announcing the 2024 concentrated inspection campaign focusing on fishing vessels.

The bulletin was published on 12 June 2024.

Scope
This bulletin applies to all Canadian commercial fishing vessels.

Purpose
To notify the fishing industry that Transport Canada is running a concentrated inspection campaign, from May to mid-September 2024.

What you need to know
Transport Canada, Marine Safety and Security (TCMSS) runs concentrated inspection campaigns to address specific areas where our inspectors have found high levels of deficiencies, or where new conventions and/or regulatory requirements have entered into force. Our 2024 campaign will include both scheduled and unscheduled inspections. We will focus on items that relate to safely operating a vessel, including:

reviewing all on board safety equipment, including how personal flotation devices, lifejackets, and immersion suits are used and stored;
verifying that the required safety procedures have been documented and are on board; and
making sure that conditions within a vessel’s stability booklet reflect the vessel’s arrangement/operations.

The 2024 campaign is similar to 2023’s, except that, due to the findings of last year’s campaign, it will be focused only on fishing vessels. The 2023 report will be posted on Transport Canada’s website by September 2024. If an inspector finds a deficiency during this year’s campaign, they will work with the vessel’s owner to determine why the issue occurred. This will help Transport Canada identify areas that require more focus/clarification, or which may need to be addressed with new or updated regulations. Marine Safety Inspectors may use Deficiency Notice Form B or other compliance and enforcement tools during the campaign.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):