Research and analysis

Safety flyer to the fishing industry – Sustain

Published 3 July 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/is-fatigue-impairing-your-decision-making/safety-flyer-to-the-fishing-industry-sustain

1. Summary

The grounding and subsequent loss of the prawn trawler Sustain (UL 45) on Rubha Camas a’ Mhaoraich, Loch Broom, Scotland on 16 November 2023

2. Background

The prawn trawler Sustain operated daily from Ullapool, departing port each day between 0600 and 0700 and returning between 1900 and 2000. On the night before the accident, the skipper had remained awake repairing the deck wash pump and had decided to sail early at around 0230 once the repair was completed.

3. Narrative

On the evening of 16 November 2023, Sustain grounded on Rubha Camas a’ Mhaoraich at the entrance to Loch Broom, Scotland while returning to Ullapool after a day’s fishing west of the Summer Isles (see figure). The vessel’s hull was breached and it was declared a constructive total loss by the end of November.

During Sustain’s passage back to Ullapool the skipper was on watch in the wheelhouse and the two crew members were on deck sorting the catch. During the passage the skipper felt tired and, worried they would fall asleep, made a cup of coffee and opened the windows to let in some fresh air. About 15 minutes later, having fallen asleep in the wheelhouse chair, the skipper was woken by the vessel grounding. Despite the best efforts of the vessel’s crew, other fishing vessels and a Royal National Lifeboat Institution all-weather lifeboat, Sustain could not be moved from its position on the rocks.

4. Safety lessons

  1. Sustain’s skipper had built up a sleep debt during their current and previous fishing runs and was further fatigued at the time of the accident following a decision to sail early after working much of the night repairing the deck wash pump. This led to them being dangerously fatigued at the end of the day’s fishing and their attempts to stay awake during the return passage were unsuccessful. The power of fatigue and the risk of falling asleep it creates cannot be underestimated.

  2. Sleep debt built up from normal fishing routines increases the likelihood of fatigue-related symptoms, such as impaired decision-making and reduced resilience to extended wakefulness, and it increases susceptibility to falling asleep when working through periods of circadian low.

  3. The hazard of ineffective watchkeeping due to fatigue was recognised in the vessel’s risk assessments. However, the control measures were not implemented as another crew member was not called for assistance and no watchkeeping alarm was fitted. Skippers should follow regulatory guidance to avoid lone watchkeeping and to install and use watch alarms.

  4. Sustain’s skipper did not comply with the requirements of Merchant Shipping Notice 1884 (F) International Labour Organization Work in Fishing Convention (No.188): Working Time in the days preceding the accident. Compliance with working time regulations assists fishermen to rest enough to operate safely.

5. Further information

Our accident investigation report is available at: https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/grounding-and-subsequent-loss-of-the-prawn-trawler-sustain

Extract from The United Kingdom Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 – Regulation 5:

The sole objective of the investigation of an accident under the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012 shall be the prevention of future accidents through the ascertainment of its causes and circumstances. It shall not be the purpose of an such investigation to determine liability nor, except so far as is necessary to achieve its objective, to apportion blame.

Note:

This safety flyer is not written with litigation in mind and, pursuant to Regulation 14(14) of the Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2012, shall be inadmissible in any judicial proceedings whose purpose, or one of whose purposes is to attribute or apportion liability or blame.

Marine Accident Investigation Branch

First Floor, Spring Place
105 Commercial Road
Southampton
SO15 1GH

Email iso@maib.gov.uk

Enquiries during office hours +44 (0)23 8039 5500

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