Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999 (S.I. No. 3210 of 1999).

Together with the Fishing Vessels (EC Directive on Harmonised Safety Regime) Regulations 1999, these Regulations give effect to Council Directive 97/70/EC setting up a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over. They also impose (in Part III) requirements in relation to certain fishing vessels which are not subject to the Council Directive but are registered in the UK. Part II of the Regulations applies to "Directive fishing vessels" registered in UK i.e. new fishing vessels of 24 metres or more in length, and existing fishing vessels of 45 metres or more in length. Such fishing vessels are required to comply with provisions which implement Chapter IX of the Torremolinos Protocol relating to the Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, adopted on 2nd April 1993, as modified by the Council directive. The principal feature of Part II is that such fishing vessels are required to carry equipment to operate the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS). GMDSS is the International Maritime Organization's world-wide network of automated emergency communications for fishing vessels at sea. Part III applies to those fishing vessels of 12 metres or more in length which are not subject to the Council Directive but are registered in the UK. These are now required also to implement GMDSS. Part IV provides for enforcement of the Regulations. Part V requires Directive fishing vessels which are not registered in the UK to conform to regulations 7 to 9 (performance standards, functional requirements, installation etc of radio equipment) and to Part II of the Regulations, to the extent required by Article 7 of the Council Directive.