ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal are working with commercial fishing operators in New Zealand to help them comply with new safety beacon regulations.
The regulations require the installation of float-free EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons) on fishing boats between 7.5m and 24m operating outside enclosed waters by 1 January 2019.
Steve Mullin, sales manager Asia – Australasia, ACR Electronics, said: “Any measures that make commercial fishing safer and help save lives should be welcomed. Now that these new rules are in place, it is our job as safety equipment suppliers to make life as easy as possible for all the operators who must replace their old EPIRBs before January next year.”
Demand increase expected
Prompted by recommendations from Coroners and the Transport Accident and Investigation Commission, the new requirement is one of five changes to the maritime rules made recently by the Minister of Transport.
ACR Electronics and Ocean Signal said demand expected to increase for the specific float-free category of EPIRB when the rules come into effect on 15 March.
Currently, fishing boats operating more than 200nm from New Zealand’s coast must have EPIRBs that automatically ‘float-free’ of a sinking vessel and activate, while fishing boats operating within 200nm must have either float-free or manually-activated EPIRBs.
Automatically deployed and activated when submerged in water, the ACR Electronics GlobalFIX V4 and GlobalFIX Pro and Ocean Signal SafeSea 100G float-free EPIRBs feature Category 1 hydrostatic release brackets or housing options.
