Cable Safety

Fouling a submarine cable can be extremely hazardous to fishing vessels.

Damage to submarine cables is expensive to repair and can cause disruption to power distribution and international telecommunications.

Damage to submarine cable

KISCA charts enable you to avoid submarine cables in UK waters, and are free of charge.

If you do foul a cable, make sure you follow the emergency procedures to safeguard your vessel and your crew.

The following sequence of events shows what can happen if a vessel fouls a submarine cable.

Beam trawler foulling cable
Fouling of Cable by fishing gear

First fouling of Cable
by fishing gear		 Starting to retrieve gear

Starting to retrieve gear		 Cable almost impossible to release

Submarine cable
almost impossible to release
Realisation<br>of fouling a cable

First realisation
of fouling a cable		 Cable should be lowered to seabed

Cable should be lowered to seabed
to eliminate danger of capsize		 Beam trawler 6