No. 2 of 2023: Marine safety in the Dee Conservancy statutory reporting of accidents and serious injuries

Mariners are hereby reminded that The Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2005 introduced statutory accident reporting requirements for ships, fishing vessels, recreational craft and other craft or boats in certain circumstances, as defined, whether at sea or in a port or harbour. Persons in charge of vessels in the Dee Conservancy should ensure that they are fully aware of and comply with the statutory accident reporting requirements applicable to their vessel. The statutory reporting requirements are referred to briefly in the e-booklet entitled ‘Marine Safety in the Dee Conservancy’ published by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) which can be accessed online at the Dee Conservancy pages of the NRW website.

Helpful information, guidance notes, and reporting forms are provided by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) online as follows:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-a-marine-accident

The Regulations also require that the Dee Conservancy reports any accident or serious injury it is aware of, that occurs within or adjacent to the limits of its jurisdiction. This extends from Wilcox Point downstream of the weir at Chester, seawards to an imaginary line linking the Point of Ayr on the Welsh coast to Hilbre Point on the Wirral peninsular. To facilitate such reports, any person in charge of a vessel in the Dee Conservancy who makes a report to the Chief Inspector of MAIB in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations, should also provide details to the Dee Conservancy Harbour Master at the address shown below, by the quickest means available. In addition to the statutory reporting requirements, users of the Dee Conservancy are also encouraged to voluntarily report other hazardous incidents or potentially dangerous situations, where harm to people or damage to property or the environment could have occurred. These reports should be submitted in writing to the Dee Conservancy Harbour Master.

Captain G PROCTOR
Harbour Master
4th January 2023

c/o Strategic Marine Services Ltd.
12 Chapel Court, Wervin Road, Wervin, Chester. CH2 4BP
Telephone: +44 (0) 1244 371428
E-Mail: harbourmaster@deeconservancy.org

Incident hotline: 0300 065 3000 (Freephone, 24 hour service)
Floodline: 0345 988 1188 (24 hour service)