Fishing Vessel Capsizing

A maritime accident in which a fishing vessel loses stability and overturns; major causes include severe weather, overloading, and aging hulls, and the risk of loss of life is very high.

Fishing Vessel Capsizing

Overview

Fishing vessel capsizing refers to a maritime accident in which a fishing vessel engaged in fishing or navigation is overturned nearly 180 degrees due to external forces or loss of stability. Fishing vessel accidents account for about 70% of all maritime accidents, but among them, capsizing and sinking are a high-risk accident type with an overwhelmingly high proportion of casualties such as deaths and missing persons relative to their frequency. Because most crew members are working on deck, escape time is only a matter of seconds, and in winter when water temperatures are low, the window for survival rapidly shrinks due to hypothermia.

Main Content

Definition and Types

Fishing vessel capsizing is largely divided into ① loss of stability during navigation or fishing, ② uneven loading of fishing gear or cargo, ③ secondary capsizing after grounding or collision, and ④ being struck by beam seas (waves pushing in from the side) during entry and departure. Stability is the force that returns a vessel to its original attitude when tilted; if this is lost due to a rise in the center of gravity or the free surface effect (sloshing of liquid in tanks), even a small angle of roll can lead to capsizing.

Main Causes

Worsening weather: reckless fishing operations under sudden gusts, swell waves, and sudden gale warnings
Overloading and uneven stowage: excessive loading of catches and fishing gear on deck raises the center of gravity
Aging hulls: corrosion and cracking in fishing vessels over 20 years old, and poor ballast
Fishing gear entanglement: bottom trawls, traps, etc. becoming caught on undersea rocks or propellers and causing rapid listing
Poor navigation: incorrect vessel handling such as sharp turns, sudden course changes, and sailing in the direction of beam seas
Vulnerability of small vessels: coastal fishing vessels under 5 tons have little stability margin and insufficient life-saving equipment

Casualties and Rescue System

In capsizing accidents, when the hull overturns, air pockets inside the vessel rarely form, so the risk of drowning is high. Rescue operations are jointly handled by Korea Coast Guard patrol vessels and helicopters, the Navy, fisheries management teams of regional offices of oceans and fisheries, private voluntary rescue vessels, and fishing fleets. Distress communications use GMDSS, Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRBs), Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), and VHF-DSC, and crew members are required to wear life jackets and survival suits (immersion suits) and to know the locations of emergency exits. The golden time is generally known to be around one hour at a water temperature of 10 degrees.

Related Laws and Safety Regulations

The Fishing Vessel Safety and Operation Act, the Ship Safety Act, the Maritime Safety Act, and the Fishing Vessel Crew and Fishing Vessel Disaster Compensation Insurance Act, among others, apply. Fishing vessels must undergo regular inspections to verify stability calculations, load lines, crew limits, and the adequacy of life-saving equipment. In addition, during fishing operations, weather warnings trigger obligations such as departure restrictions, orders to return to port, and position reporting, and violations result in administrative dispositions such as fines and suspension of fishing operations. Safety education and completion of emergency drills for fishing vessel crew members are also mandatory.

Latest Trends

In 2024–2025, as localized gusts and abnormal swells caused by climate change become more frequent, the risk of fishing vessel capsizing is structurally increasing. In response, the government and local governments are expanding the distribution of ICT- and AI-based smart fishing vessels and pursuing pilot projects equipped with real-time stability monitoring, automatic center-of-gravity alerts, and capsizing risk prediction algorithms. In addition, along with the development of autonomous fishing vessel technology, remote automatic distress notification systems and search-and-rescue systems using drones and unmanned search boats are being introduced. On the safety regulation side, discussions are under way on expanding the mandatory wearing of life jackets at all times, supporting the reduction and modernization of aging fishing vessels, strengthening enforcement against exceeding crew limits, and raising stability standards for small fishing vessels, while safety mutual aid and disaster compensation coverage for fishers continues to expand. However, the increasing proportion of elderly crew members and the harsh fishing environment remain fundamental challenges.