At a hearing today at Folkestone Magistrates Court, the owners and skipper of a Belgian registered fishing trawler were prosecuted following an incident in the Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme on the 22 March 2009.
On the 22 March 2009 the Belgium Trawler De Zwerver was on passage from Milford Haven to Belgium when the vessel was detected by the Dover Channel Navigation Service (CNIS) using the English Inshore Traffic Zone off Brighton. Its progress up the English Inshore Traffic Zone was continually monitored by Dover CNIS.
The De Zwerver was still using the English Inshore Traffic Zone, when off the Port of Dover it had an near-miss incident with a cross channel Ferry. The Ferry had to take action to avoid the De Zwerver. The Master of the ferry reported the incident to Dover CNIS. De Zwerver continued to transit the English Inshore Traffic Zone enroute to its home port in Belgium.
Throughout its transit of the English Inshore Traffic Zone, attempts were made to call the De Zwerver by radio but no response was received.
Efforts were made to contact the owner and skipper of the De Zwerver after the incident but, again, no response was received.
Brian Witdoeckt, skipper of the De Zwerver, pleaded guilty to contravening Rule 10(d) of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea and was fined £400 plus costs of £600 and £15 tax.
BVBA Deo Volante of Ostende, Belgium, owners of the De Zwerver, also pleaded guilty to a breach of Rule 10(d) of the International Regulations for the Prevention of Collisions at Sea and was fined £1,500 plus costs of £3,733 costs and £15 tax.
Mr. Kaimes Beasley, CNIS Manager based at Dover Coastguard said.
The vessel should have been using the North East bound traffic lanes off the French Coast to transit through the Dover Strait. By failing to do so he placed himself, his vessel and crew and other users of the Traffic Separation Scheme at risk.
The MCA regards full compliance with rule 10 of the Colregs as very important and a major factor in the improvement in safety in the Dover Strait.
