Birds Swept Away... Sacheon Coast Guard Leads Escort of Fishing and Auxiliary Vessels

The Sacheon Maritime Police Station in Gyeongnam is providing pilot escort services to ensure the safe passage of fishing and auxiliary vessels amid strong currents.

The Sacheon Maritime Police announced on the 16th that since September 11, they have been conducting pilot escort services near the Samcheonpo Bridge, Noryang Bridge, and narrow channels to prevent accidents caused by strong currents.

A coast guard vessel is escorting a pilot boat and a tugboat. [Photo by Sacheon Coast Guard Station]

According to Sacheon Maritime Police, this pilot escort initiative was launched under the direction of Chief Officer Ok Hyun-jin, who conducted an on-site inspection on September 10.

On that day, Chief Ok recognized the risk of collisions between fishing boats concentrated in the narrow channel near Samcheonpo Bridge and auxiliary vessels passing under the bridge, and instructed to establish measures to proactively prevent maritime accidents.

The Samcheonpo-Noryang channel, which Sacheon Maritime Police judged to be highly risky, spans 30 km but narrows to only 400 meters at its tightest point, with shallow waters ranging from 7 to 21 meters deep and fast currents.

The area is scattered with navigation obstacles such as islands, bridge piers, jukbangnyeom (traditional fish traps), and aquaculture farms, and fishing boats and other working vessels are densely packed, averaging 50 to 150 vessels daily. Despite the difficult navigation conditions, fishing and auxiliary vessels frequently pass through.

Pilot escort section of Sacheon Coast Guard's patrol and auxiliary vessels. [Provided by Sacheon Coast Guard Station]

Accordingly, Sacheon Maritime Police decided to continuously monitor fishing and auxiliary vessels and frequently check for any abnormalities via radio communication.

They have established an emergency contact network to enable immediate response in case of maritime accidents, and during passage through narrow channels near bridges with strong currents, on-site pilot escort services are provided to assist the safe operation of nearby fishing and working vessels.

Sacheon Maritime Police divides the 30 km escort area from the end of the Samcheonpo Thermal Power Plant breakwater to the end of the Hadong Bitdream Headquarters into two sections: local escort by maritime police patrol boats and communication escort sections, providing pilot escort services accordingly.

Chief Ok stated, “Fishing and auxiliary vessels with limited maneuverability should assess the current flow before passing through hazardous areas and wait for a safe moment when currents are weaker before proceeding.” He added, “We ask for cooperation to establish safe navigation order.”

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