Joanna C disaster: Fishing company ordered to pay more than £100k
Two men died when the vessel sank off the Sussex coast in 2020
A Devon fishing company has been ordered to pay more than £100,000 after one of its highly-modified vessels capsized off Sussex, killing two people.
Ship's mate Robert Morley and deck hand Adam Harper died when the Joanna C's gear snagged on the seabed five miles south of Shoreham on November 21st, 2020.
The trawler's lack of stability meant it was unable to recover.
Only one of those on board the vessel, David Bickerstaff, survived the sinking.
West Hampshire Magistrates' Court hear that Laura D Fishing Ltd, which operates out of Brixham, had given the boat a major refit in 2019 which affected the stability of the vessel.
The modifications, which included adding a whaleback, extending the wheelhouse and fitting raised bulwarks, had not been approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
Magistrates heard the boat had continued commercial operations despite not meeting the minimum standards of stability.
Vessel modifications should only be carried out following consultation with, and approval of, the MCA, as outlined in Marine Shipping Notice (MSN) 1871 Amendment 1.
Laura D Fishing pleaded guilty to failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure that a vessel was operated in a safe manner, under Section 100(1) and100(3) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, on Friday (July 5th).
The firm was fined £36,000, and ordered to pay £69,284 in costs and a £190 surcharge.
Mark Cam, Senior Investigator with the MCA's Regulatory Compliance Investigations Team (RCIT), said:
"This is a tragic reminder that modifications to vessels should be planned and their effects on the vessel’s stability properly investigated using appropriate professionals.
"Companies are responsible for providing a safe place of work for their employees, wherever that may be.
"The court has found that Laura D Fishing Ltd. did not take all reasonable steps to operate the Joanna C in a safe manner and this led to the deaths of Adam and Robert.”