The FishSAFE Companion App will give information about oil and gas equipment on the sea bed and surface – ranging from platforms to subsea pipelines - so fishermen can better understand what the object is.
It is designed to complement FishSAFE Information and the FishSAFE unit which are already used by hundreds of skippers who fish in the North Sea and provides them with detailed information about potential oil and gas-related hazards in UK waters.
The new free app provides extra information about objects such as subsea wellheads, pipelines and protective structures. The size of equipment is indicated by a scale representation using easily-recognisable objects such as a person, bus or plane so fishermen can easily see how big the potential hazards are in comparison. Users can also type in their own notes in case, for example, the item has moved.
There is also a quiz so fishermen can test their knowledge, and a 3D picture so they know exactly what the potential hazard looks like.
FLTCS - Fish Safe from AVC Media on Vimeo.
FishSAFE was set up after four men died when the Arbroath trawler Westhaven sank after it snagged on an underwater pipeline in 1997.
Niall Scott, FLTC Services Limited chairman, said the new app will help fishermen by giving them more information about potential hazards shown in the FishSAFE Information data and the FishSAFE unit.
He said: “We all want our fishing fleet to be as safe as possible. The additional information in the FishSAFE Companion App is presented in a really easy-to-access way.
“We are really pleased with the app as it provides information on people’s smartphones or tablets so they don’t have to buy or maintain an extra piece of kit – it’s there in their hands when they need it.
“There are thousands of oil and gas objects on the sea bed and on the surface - with 26,000 kilometers of pipelines alone – and many of them can be a potential hazard for fishing vessels.
“In the long term, platforms will be decommissioned and in some cases operators will receive consent to leave part of the infrastructure on the sea bed so we needed a lasting place for information on potential hazards which would also be easily accessed, which is what the FishSAFE Information Project is all about.
“We really appreciate the help of everyone involved - from the oil and gas companies who provide the information, the people who work for them who input and collate the information, feedback from the fishing industry and substantial financial support in grants from the Scottish Government and the European Union through the European Fisheries Fund.
“We’re here to help prevent snagging accidents and help save fishermen’s lives, and we hope the app can go a long way to providing information to do that.”
Fishermen can download the app while onshore or at sea and the information is permanently stored on their smartphone or tablet so they can easily view it, even when there’s no mobile phone coverage.
The information for the FishSAFE project is provided by oil and gas companies and is updated every six months and a version of the data is usually issued to fishermen in January and July. The FishSAFE unit is updated at the same time, and the information can also be downloaded from the organisation’s website which is updated frequently with urgent notices about oil and gas infrastructure and new snagging hazards.
The new app, which was developed and made by Aberdeen-based AVC Media, was welcomed by government and industry leaders.
John Watt, former skipper and director of marine operations at Scottish Fishermen’s Federation Services Ltd, said: “We feel that the FishSAFE Companion App is a great initiative.
“Making use of modern technology it complements the existing FishSAFE system, providing fishermen with a greater perspective of the scale and design of subsea oil and gas infrastructure on the seabed within their traditional fishing grounds.”
Mick Borwell, environment director at Oil & Gas UK, said: “The new FishSAFE Companion App is another positive example of the fishing and oil and gas industries working together.
“The app will be very useful for fishermen as it provides excellent information on offshore infrastructure. It will also be a really useful source of information for the offshore sector itself.”
Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment, said: “The fishing industry is vital to many of our rural communities all across Scotland and the safety of fishermen, offshore oil and gas personnel and the protection of the marine environment is extremely important.
“Over many years, the Scottish Government has delivered substantial support to the industry, including funding for the Kingfisher Fortnightly Bulletin and Yellow Card.
“I am delighted to have supported the FishSAFE initiative and the development of this new app, I am certain it will make a positive contribution to the collective future safety of those working in these valuable Scottish-based industries.”
To download the App please visit, Google Play.
The app will also be available on the App Store soon.
