Buan Coast Guard, Winter Marine Accident Prevention... "Proactive Marine Weather Information Provision"

20 Vessels in Distress Last Winter... 36 Rescued

Additional Alert Level Added Between Wind and Wave Advisory and Warning

Buan Maritime Police Station (Chief Seong Giju) announced on the 21st that starting from November, it will establish a 'Winter Marine Weather Proactive Response Plan' to prevent marine accidents involving fishing vessels and auxiliary vessels that find early refuge difficult due to abnormal weather and storm warnings, and will take measures to prevent marine accidents.

According to Buan Maritime Police Station, from last November to February this year, more than 8,700 vessels including passenger ships, fishing boats, and fishing vessels entered and exited the local waters during the winter season.

On the 20th, Buan Coast Guard Station held a meeting to establish a marine weather response system.
[Photo by Buan Coast Guard]

During the same period, 20 vessels and 36 people were rescued from distress. By type, drifting accounted for 8 vessels (40%), flooding 4 vessels (20%), entanglement with floating objects 2 vessels (10%), collision 2 vessels (10%), engine damage 2 vessels (10%), navigation obstruction 1 vessel (5%), and others 1 vessel (5%).

By cause, 12 vessels (60%) were due to neglect of vessel management, 4 vessels (20%) due to careless navigation, 2 vessels (10%) due to poor maintenance, 1 vessel (5%) due to battery discharge, and 1 vessel (5%) due to safety negligence, with most incidents occurring during adverse weather conditions.

Also, reviewing marine accidents in the local waters during the winter season from 2020 to 2022 over three years, out of approximately 35,280 vessels entering and exiting, 48 vessels and 220 people were rescued.

By type, drifting (11 vessels, 23%) and engine damage (9 vessels, 19%) were the most common, and by cause, poor maintenance (16 vessels, 33%) and careless navigation (14 vessels, 29%) were identified as causes, indicating reckless navigation during adverse weather conditions.

Accordingly, Buan Maritime Police will establish a proactive marine weather response plan to prevent marine accidents during the winter season. The provision of marine weather information, previously offered to marine workers, will be conducted in more detailed and precise content.

The previous method of providing marine weather information simply categorized storm warnings into two levels (storm advisory, storm warning) for fishing and navigating vessels, and communicated weather warning announcements and vessel movement and refuge measures by vessel tonnage via communication, text messages, and broadcasts.

However, starting this winter, marine weather will be provided in three stages according to worsening weather conditions: from storm advisory → caution stage → storm warning.

Patrol vessels and local stations will closely analyze observed real-time conditions confirmed on-site and weather information from five marine weather observation buoys installed by the Korea Meteorological Administration in the local waters. The five marine weather observation buoys are located at Situ Island, Latitude, Sadang Island, Imsu Island, and Galmae Island.

Additionally, a caution stage will be added between the storm advisory and storm warning, continuously analyzing wind direction, wind speed, wave height, etc., and providing information divided into caution level 1 (recommendatory), caution level 2 (proactive), and caution level 3 (mandatory) according to the progression of adverse weather.

This will also be reflected in vessel movement recommendations, vessel refuge compliance measures, and forced vessel movement and refuge actions.

The Fisheries Information and Communication Bureau, Maritime Police VTS, patrol vessels, and local stations will simultaneously provide real-time continuous updates on weather warnings and information such as wind direction, wind speed, and wave height to fishing and navigating vessels via text messages and broadcasts.

On the 20th, Buan Maritime Police held a meeting to establish a winter marine weather response system, attended by Chief Seong Giju, department heads, section chiefs, and personnel in charge of marine weather-related departments.

They shared the proactive marine weather response plan for preventing winter marine accidents, discussed cooperation with related local agencies, continuous promotion of marine weather information provision to marine workers, and devised measures.

Starting from the 23rd, a marine weather expert consultation team will be formed, led by the head of the Patrol and Rescue Division, composed of personnel related to marine weather from each department and patrol vessel and local station officers, holding regular monthly meetings. They plan to establish a marine hazardous weather information collection and provision plan and strengthen marine weather expertise through cooperation with the Korea Meteorological Administration for marine weather education and training.

Chief Seong Giju said, "In preparation for the upcoming winter season, we will establish an organic cooperation system with related agencies such as the Jeonju Meteorological Office to build a marine weather response system, and we will do our best to proactively prevent and respond to marine accidents caused by anticipated adverse weather."

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