Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Prepares 'Summer Maritime Traffic Safety Measures'... In Response to Increased Marine Activities and Adverse Weather Conditions

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 18th that it has prepared the 'Summer Maritime Traffic Safety Measures' to prepare for the increase in maritime activities and adverse weather conditions during the summer season, and will implement them for three months from June to August.

Summer is a period when maritime activities such as the use of passenger ships and fishing boats increase due to the vacation season, and the risk of maritime accidents is high due to the influence of typhoons and heavy rain.

Accordingly, through the summer maritime traffic safety measures, the Ministry plans to promote ▲ intensive inspections and safety guidance to ensure the safety of passenger ships (all 158 vessels) and other multi-use vessels ▲ safety management of ships and facilities in preparation for adverse weather and maintaining a 24-hour rescue response system ▲ establishment of maritime traffic order and enhancement of safety awareness.

In particular, from this year, they will thoroughly check the implementation of strengthened maritime safety measures such as boarding safety personnel and enhanced safety inspections during night navigation of fishing boats with 13 or more passengers. From August 19, penalties for passengers on coastal passenger ships who violate lawful orders from safety management personnel (crew, maritime safety supervisors, navigation managers, etc.) will be strengthened from a fine of up to 1 million KRW to imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of up to 10 million KRW. Passengers boarding marina vessels must fill out and submit a boarding report to the operator, and the operator must record and manage this information upon departure and arrival according to newly implemented regulations.

From the 28th of the same month, it will be mandatory to report location during storm and typhoon warnings and to wear life jackets when weather (preliminary) warnings are issued. Compliance with these regulations will also be thoroughly inspected to prepare for adverse weather. For ports and facilities, safety measures will be taken in advance through the national safety inspection conducted from June 10 to July 10 to minimize damage.

Additionally, the 'Drawing Sharing System' completed last May will be operated to enable rapid rescue in case of emergencies on passenger ships. When passenger ship companies register ship drawings in the system through ship inspection agencies, the Coast Guard and Fire Department can check and understand the drawings in advance, which is expected to speed up rescue operations.

Along with this, to prepare for the increase in summer leisure activities, sudden crackdowns on navigation violations and drunk navigation will be conducted, and all passengers on passenger ships will be educated on how to operate fire extinguishing and lifesaving equipment during navigation to raise public maritime safety awareness.

Jung Tae-sung, Director of Maritime Safety Policy at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "During summer, workers' concentration decreases due to the heat, and traffic volume increases, so it is necessary to be more vigilant during navigation," adding, "We ask the public engaging in marine leisure activities to strictly follow basic safety rules such as wearing life jackets and prohibiting drunk navigation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.