Fishing

The one who converts your vessel is obliged to report the work.

Unfortunately, some masters of fishing vessels forget to report conversions of their vessels and to have them subjected to a survey following such conversions. Therefore, shipyards or engineering shops converting fishing vessels are now also required to report the work to the Danish Maritime Authority. 

In this manner, we will know about your conversion and can help you get as safe as possible.

Electronic reporting can be used if you are the owner of a fishing vessel about to be converted or if you as a company are to convert a fishing vessel.

​When you are on board a fishing vessel day after day, it is easy to neglect or forget to check whether all safety equipment is in tip-top condition.

Repairs or minor conversions can also have been made to your vessel that may have changed its stability.

Therefore masters of fishing vessels that are surveyed at five-year intervals must fill in a so-called self-monitoring form, inter alia to state whether the vessel has been converted.

This must be done once a year. In this manner, you are sure that you remember to check the vessel, the on-board equipment and any conversions that have been made to the vessel.
 
Self-monitoring

The freeboard mark is mandatory for new or converted ships.

If your fishing vessel has been subjected to a major conversion or you have had an entirely new vessel built, you must have a freeboard mark showing how much the vessel must be loaded down. The requirement also applies if you buy a vessel abroad and intend to use it for fishing in Denmark.

Prevent accidents

The freeboard mark is important to prevent accidents. If you load your vessel more than to the mark, your spare buoyancy and stability will be impaired and, thus, you are at greater risk of capsizing and sinking.

With a freeboard mark, it is far easier to keep an eye on the limit for how much your vessel must be loaded. The freeboard mark is required to be placed on the side of the vessel and make you see how much the vessel must be downloaded.

If you have your vessel converted, it must be subjected to a survey.

Even conversions that may, at first sight, seem to be minor can contribute to creating poor stability. Unfortunately, a number of serious accidents in recent years clearly testify to this. 

Inform the Danish Maritime Authority about the conversion

If your vessel is subjected to major conversions, you must inform the Danish Maritime Authority. Then, we will assess whether the vessel should be surveyed. You must inform us when the conversion has commenced. In case a survey is needed, it will be made by a ship surveyor from the Danish Maritime Authority. 

If you are in doubt whether the alteration requires a survey of the vessel, please contact the Danish Maritime Authority.

Unfortunately, some masters of fishing vessels forget to report conversions of their vessels and to have them subjected to a survey after the conversion. Therefore, shipyards or engineering shops that convert fishing vessels are now also required to report the work to the Danish Maritime Authority. This will ensure that we know about your conversion and can help you get as safe a vessel as possible.

As the owner of a fishing vessel, it is important that you are familiar with the regulations. They have been made to enhance the safety of you and your crew. 

Here you can see the provisions as described in the legislation: 

Get the regulations applicable to vessels below 15 metres in length

Fishing vessels with a length between 15 and 45 metres

The same requirements as for fishing vessels with a length below 15 metres (see above).

​​​In the future, all small fishing vessels must be surveyed every fifth year to ensure that the vessel is a safe place to be accommodated and work.

The surveys will be introduced gradually during a five-year period where the smallest vessels are to be subjected to surveys first.

When is it time for a survey?

You will automatically receive a letter from the Danish Maritime Authority when the time has come for a survey of your vessel. The letter contains information about the survey and the preparations that you must make.

Safety

At the survey, the ship surveyor will, inter alia, take a closer look at whether the vessel has been converted or considerably altered since its original approval. Conversions of your vessel may have led to poor stability and, thus, an increased risk of an accident.

In order for the survey to be finalised quickly, we recommend that you yourself check the vessel before the survey.

If your vessel does not comply with the regulations, it may be dangerous to use it and therefore it is possible for the ship surveyor to withdraw your trade permit.

Payment

You yourself must pay for the survey. You pay at a rate for every hour that the ship surveyor spends on the work - including preparation and subsequent desk work.

List of hourly rates