TRAWLER "ACACIA WOOD " (LOSS) (Hansard, 13 December 1978)

§ The Under-Secretary of State for Trade (Mr. Clinton Davis)
The "Acacia Wood ", with a crew of nine, sailed from Peterhead at noon on Friday 1st December bound for the East Shetland fishing grounds. The vessel was expected to be back in Peterhead on Friday 8th December or Saturday 9th December.
On 3rd December, the skipper reported to the owners that the vessel was about to enter Norwegian waters. Weather conditions in the area were bad from Monday 4th December and deteriorated during the week. Conditions were most severe on Thursday 7th December, when there were force 10 gales and 50 ft. to 60 ft. seas.
At 1730 hours on Thursday 7th December, the skipper of the "Acacia Wood" was in radio contact with the skipper of the Peterhead trawler "Kestrel ". Because of bad weather, he apparently intended to run for an area on the east side of Fair Isle, where he proposed to fish, but if unsuccessful would return to Peterhead.
661 The alarm was raised by the skipper of the "Kestrel" at midnight on Friday 8th December, who, on returning to Peterhead, reported to Coastguard Peterhead that he was concerned for "Acacia Wood's" safety.
Coastguard Peterhead commenced search procedures immediately, instituting a broadcast via Wick Radio, and all sheltering ports en route, including Norway, were checked. Based on the last known position, an air search in Fair Isle gap commenced at first light on Saturday 9th in conditions of poor visibility, which persisted throughout. The weather at this time was south-easterly force 9, and vessels in the area were hove to and unable to search. Nothing having been found, the air search was called off for the day at 1700 hours, but broadcast action continued. The air search was resumed at 0800 hours on Sunday 10th December. Unhappily, this proved to be unsuccessful and at 1800 hours was finally called off, and all search and rescue action has now ceased. However, aircraft, ships and helicopters operating in the North Sea have been requested to continue a lookout.
I can tell the House that a life raft from the "Acacia Wood" has been washed ashore in the North Shetlands, and this will be examined by my Department. Despite extensive beach searches, nothing further has been found. My Department has already commenced a preliminary inquiry into this tragic casualty under section 465 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1894.
I am sure that the House would wish to join me in expressing deepest sympathy with the families of the crew of the "Acacia Wood".

§ Mrs. Ewing
I thank the Minister for his very thorough statement and assure him that it is a matter of considerable comfort to the relatives of those concerned in this disaster that it is taking up the time of this House. Is he aware that a stricken community has learned yet again the price of fish to the north-east of Scotland? I am sure that the House will wish to join me in paying tribute to the Coastguard services, the RAF Nimrods and all the others who have done their best in this search, which has proved fruitless.
662 Although the life of fishermen can never be safe, in the light of these continuing disasters to vessels operating from my part of Scotland does the Minister consider that there are any additional safety devices, such as radar beams, however costly, which might be worth considering, even if it means a degree of Government sponsorship? Is the hon. Gentleman also entirely satisfied that the weather warning in this area is always entirely sufficient?

§ Mr. Davis
Let me say at once that this trawler was a relatively new one. It was built in 1976. It was equipped with two radars and with Decca navigational equipment. It also had a full range of other navigational equipment.
The hon. Lady paid tribute to the Coastguard and the other rescue services, and I am grateful that she expressed the matter as she did.
As for other additional safety devices, we have a fishing industry safety group. It will be considering this situation at its next meeting in January. But it is by no means an easy matter about which to make conclusions. Various devices which have been introduced have been found to be imperfect. Regrettably, they include existing EPIRBs upon which a number of people place some reliability but which unfortunately have not reached a sufficient stage of sophistication to justify our making them a mandatory requirement.

§ Mr. Henderson
Is the Minister aware that I wish to associate myself with the remarks of my hon. Friend the Member for Moray and Nairn (Mrs. Ewing) in respect of the families and friends of the two constituents of mine who were aboard the "Acacia Wood "? Can he say a little more about the fishing industry safety group? Does he recall our exchanges on 7th March of this year, unfortunately in relation to the loss of another boat, the "Enterprise ", from Fraserburgh, in my constituency? The hon. Gentleman indicated that there was a degree of urgency in following up various suggestions and proposals, among them the possibility of a separate reporting frequency. Can he be more forthcoming today, or can he say when he will be in a position to make a statement about that?

§ Mr. Davis
I recognise the hon. Member's important constituency interest in this matter, and I recall the occasion on 663 7th March to which he alluded. The fishing industry safety group has reported to us that, regrettably from my point of view, as I said on that occasion, the radio reporting that we were seeking to encourage would not be undertaken by active working fishermen. I still think that that is unfortunate. But if the industry is not prepared to co-operate, it is very difficult to try to enforce a scheme in these circumstances.
The fishing industry safety group was established in July 1977 in the wake of certain contention over the Fishing Vessels (Safety Provisions) Rules which I was seeking to impose. It represents a pretty good cross-section of the fishing industry. It meets roughly at three-monthly intervals, and it has made a very positive contribution. I am sure that it will take into account what the hon. Member has just said.

§ Mr. James Johnson
May I express my deepest sympathy for the families of the men lost in this disaster? Will the Minister think again about what he said about safety devices? He mentioned EPIRBs especially. Is it not a fact that Norwegian fishermen fishing in the same waters as we do—and, of course also the American Coastguard division—have a mandatory system for devices of this nature? My hon. Friend and I have been in correspondence about this for a long time. Will he think again about it?

§ Mr. Clinton Davis
My hon. Friend rightly said that he has raised the matter on a number of occasions. I understand and have much sympathy with the point of view that he expressed. The Government, while they have a locus, necessarily have to consult the industry to ascertain whether any such requirement should be made mandatory and whether it would be capable of reasonable enforcement. I am advised that at present the EPIRBs, about which my hon. Friend is specifically concerned, have a limited performance. In this instance it is conjectural 664 whether there could have been a launching or whether the signal could have been picked up by aircraft or nearby vessels.
It is true that Norway has introduced mandatory requirements. That is because the authorities have the support of the industry in any event. However, coastal and terrain conditions are very different and they do not apply to anything like the same extent in this country. We are working through IMCO, through the fishing industry safety group and through the Government laboratories and others to ascertain whether these devices may be made more nearly perfect. If they could be made more nearly perfect, we would at that stage contemplate making them mandatory. It would be premature to do so now.

§ Mr. McNamara
The House will be surprised by my hon. Friend's reply concerning the use of the emergency radio frequency and the industry's not being prepared to co-operate. Is it not my hon. Friend's Department that licenses fishing boats? Is there not a Bill now passing through the House that could make the use of the frequency mandatory and, if necessary, force these measures upon recalcitrant fishermen?

§ Mr. Clinton Davis
I suppose that it is possible for the matter to be raised when we consider the Merchant Shipping Bill in Committee. It is not a provision within the Bill as it stands. It would be extremely difficult to impose such recommendations in view of the fact that we have been advised by the industry that nobody would obey them. It would be unrealistic to implement the idea in those circumstances.

§ Mr. Teddy Taylor
On behalf of the Opposition, I thank the Minister for his statement. I pay tribute to those who took part in the search. The Opposition associate themselves totally with the sympathy that has been expressed for the families of those missing from the "Acacia Wood ".