Tag Archives: Jersey

Fishing boat sinks in St Helier Harbour during second-biggest tide ever recorded in Jersey

The big spring tides appeared to have claimed another casualty yesterday… when a fishing boat sank in St Helier Harbour. Jersey Coastguard launched a recovery operation and put pollution-control measures in place to prevent oil from the vessel spreading throughout the Old Harbour. Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson said that, although it was not clear what had caused the boat to sink, the particularly high tide could have been a contributing factor. more, >>click to read<< 10:22

Minute silences to be held to mark anniversaries of Haut du Mont explosion and trawler tragedy

Minute silences will be held this week to mark the one-year anniversaries of two tragedies which claimed the lives of 13 people. The government has announced that public workers will fall silent at noon on Friday to remember fisherman Michael Michieli and his two crew – Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn – who were killed when their trawler was in collision with the Commodore Goodwill freight ship. Another silence will be observed at noon on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of the explosion at Haut du Mont on Pier Road. Nine residents – 72-year-old Peter Bowler, Raymie Brown (71), Romeu and Louise De Almeida (67 and 64 years), Derek and Sylvia Ellis (61 and 73 years), Ken and Jane Ralph (72 and 71 years) and 63-year-old Billy Marsden – were killed in the blast. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:03

Jersey fishing community ‘fearful’ over proposed marine plans

Nathalie Porritt and Gabby Mason say they fear for the future of dredging and trawling boats if proposed plans are implemented

Seven fishing boats in Jersey could be out of business “overnight” if a recommended plan is implemented, members of the fishing community say. The draft Marine Spatial Plan was published in October to recommend ways of protecting the island’s marine environment. Changes to the way the fishing industry could work were made in it, including over the use of boats with mobile gear. Deputy Jonathan Renouf said the plan could “help the fishing industry”. Members of the fishing community came together at a public drop-in session on Thursday to voice their issues. Nathalie Porritt, a fishing merchant at Aquamar Fisheries, said the proposed areas would particularly affect the scallop industry.  >>click to read<< 09:49

Report on L’Ecume trawler sinking goes to Law Officers

A ‘complex’ file of evidence on the fatal collision between Condor’s Commodore Goodwill and the L’Ecume II trawler has been handed to the Law Officers Department by the States police. A similar file on the Pier Road explosion will be submitted to the department in due course, Chief Minister Kristina Moore has confirmed. The L’Ecume II sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with the Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. The boat’s skipper and two crew died in the tragedy. Given the “size and complexity” of the evidence file relating to the L’Ecume II collision, Deputy Moore noted that “it will take some time to consider the evidence” – although specific timelines for completion were not provided. >>click to read<< 14:21

L’Ecume II: specialist teams leave Jersey as recovery operation comes to an end

Harbourmaster Bill Sadler has been notified by the States police that there are no further tasks for the teams to complete at the wreck site, after parts of the vessel and the body of skipper Michael Michieli, were recovered as part of the operation’s key objectives. The maritime exclusion zone has now been removed along with the anchors and buoys deployed last month. Specialist teams and recovery vessels, including a 60-metre crane barge which arrived last month have now left the Island. The parts of the trawler recovered from the seabed have been moved to a secure location and the wreck is now in the possession of the States police. >click to read< 21:07

Body formally identified as L’Ecume II skipper

Police in Jersey have confirmed the body recovered from the wreck of a sunken fishing boat has been formally identified as Michael Michieli. Mr Michieli, 62, was the skipper of the L’Ecume II fishing trawler that sank after colliding with a freight ferry on 8 December. The bodies of the two other crew, Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat, were recovered later that month. The Michieli family has been informed, police said. They added: “Our deepest sympathies are with the Michieli family, and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time.” >click to read< 15:34

F/V L’Ecume II: Sections of sunken trawler to be taken to La Collette

The land-based operation to transport recovered sections of the L’Ecume II fishing trawler to a secure site at La Collette is due to begin. And further tributes to one of Jersey’s ‘most-respected’ fishermen, Michael ‘Mick’ Michieli, have poured in after a body was recovered from the wreck on Wednesday. The trawler sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with the Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast, triggering an immediate search-and-rescue operation spanning 36 hours. On Wednesday evening, the States police said that a body had been brought ashore and that the family of Mr Michieli had been informed. A formal identification process is due to take place. >click to read< 08:11

Body recovered from wreckage of sunken Jersey fishing vessel, L’Ecume II

A body has been recovered from the wreckage of the L’Ecume II, a fishing boat which sank after a collision with a freight ship off Jersey’s west coast in December 2022. Three fishermen were on board when the vessel collided with Condor Ferries’ freight ship, the Commodore Goodwill. The bodies of crew members Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat were found, while the L’Ecume II’s skipper, Michael ‘Mick’ Michieli, remained missing. Officials have confirmed that the crew working to raise the sunken trawler recovered a body on Wednesday evening (26 April). The body was brought to shore in a coffin and is yet to be formally identified. >click to read< 15:03

Fishing Vessel L’Ecume II: Sunken trawler’s condition ‘worse than expected’

The operation to bring the vessel to shore was mobilised on Sunday, but has faced “unsafe” sea conditions. A specialist dive team and support crew with remotely operated vehicles (ROV) were deployed to the site. The first phase of the operation, a dive survey, began and found the wreck in “an unstable condition”. It said with that with high spring tides and a strong swell, depths had exceeded the dive limit of 50m (164ft). The States said the steel deck had dislodged from the vessel’s wooden structure, and although this had given divers an “access point”, it also posed a risk of trapping them. >click to read< 09:57

Specialist divers survey sunken L’Ecume II fishing boat as recovery operation begins

An experienced team of nine divers has begun surveying the L’Ecume II fishing boat that sank in December after colliding with a Condor ferry. It marks the first stage of a complex recovery operation with a 1,000-metre exclusion zone now in place around the wreck off Jersey’s northwest coast. Specialist equipment including a 60-metre crane barge and 20-metre tugboat arrived in the island last week and have now been deployed to the site. Links, >click to read< 11:42

L’Ecume II recovery operation to start as soon as possible states officials

Herbosch-Kiere Marine Contractors Ltd, a specialist marine contractor, has been commissioned to raise the wreck of L’Ecume II. Herbosch-Kiere is experienced in wreck raises and they are familiar with Jersey, having previously worked on major marine infrastructure projects in the Island. Following the dive survey and exploration, the wreck raise will require a fair-weather window of five days to go ahead. Teams involved will be continually assessing the conditions to determine when the lift can happen. Once the wreck has been raised, it will be transported to La Collette where it will be stored at a secure location, under States of Jersey Police supervision. >click to read< 13:30

L’Ecume II sinking: Work to raise fishing boat to begin shortly

Divers are to begin an operation to raise the wreck of a fishing trawler that sank off the coast of Jersey. A specialist dive team is due to arrive later this week, the government said. It said they will initially be carrying out a dive survey “over the next few days” before the lift is expected later in April. The preliminary work will also involve an exploration of the wreck and collection of debris from the surrounding area. Authorities said the wreck of the L’Ecume II will be taken to La Collette, where it will be stored under police guard. >click to read< 08:54

‘Significant progress’ made with L’Ecume II investigation

More than 400 lines of enquiry have been recorded since the start of the investigation – Operation Nectar – with more than 300 now complete. The L’Ecume II fishing trawler sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. In a statement, the force said: ‘Significant progress is being made with the investigation and most of the evidential opportunities have now been completed.’ Family liaison officers continue to support the families of Mr Michieli, Mr Baligat, and Mr Simyunn in Jersey and the Philippines. The wreck of L’Ecume II is due to be raised once the specialist equipment needed to do so has been acquired. It will be held on land as part of the police investigation at a secure location, where a forensic examination will take place to recover evidence and record the damage. >click to read< 08:51

Salvors to Raise Trawler that Sank Following Deadly Collision off Jersey

The wreckage of the trawler L’Ecume II, which sank in Jersey waters on December 8, 2022 following a collision with a commercial cargo vessel, is to be raised for evidential and humanitarian reasons, the Jersey government confirmed via an official statement. The States of Jersey Police made the recommendation to raise the wreck as it may assist in both the forensic and overall investigation. The collision involving L’Ecume II and the Condor Ferries Ro-Ro Commodore Goodwill occurred at 05:30 local time on December 8. The trawler sank shortly afterwards with its crew of three still on board. Search and rescue/recovery teams pulled the bodies of Filipino crewmen Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn out of the water in the days following the sinking. No trace of Micheal Michieli, the boat’s captain, has yet been found. >click to read< 09:07

Trawler which sank after colliding with Condor ferry off Jersey’s coast to be raised

The wreck of the F/V L’Ecume II fishing trawler is to be raised from the seabed, the government has announced. During a media briefing to provide an update on three major incidents that recently struck the Island, senior civil servant Richard Corrigan said that the decision to raise the vessel had been taken for both ‘evidential gain and for humanitarian reasons’. The trawler, skippered by Michael Michieli, sank after colliding with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast at around 5.30am on Thursday 8 December. >click to read< 08:05

Fishing licence plan ‘bordering on naive’

The government’s plan to prevent French fishing boats depleting stocks in Jersey’s waters is ‘bordering on the naive’, according to local fishermen – as temporary licences allowing European vessels access to local waters expire next week. Jersey Fishermen’s Association president Don Thompson said he feared the 136 French boats licensed to fish in the Island’s territorial waters might decrease in number over time but retiring boats would be replaced by larger, more efficient vessels. These boats would quickly be able to wipe out rich grounds around the Island, such as scallop beds near the Minquiers, leaving Jersey fishermen with little to catch, Mr Thompson told the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel yesterday. >click to read< 12:37

Police investigation into sunken L’Ecume II trawler launched

An independent investigation into the sunken L’Ecume II trawler has been launched by the States police to establish any criminal culpability. Andy Shearwood, a former detective chief inspector with Thames Valley Police, has been appointed as the senior investigating officer for ‘Operation Nectar’ and will work alongside Detective Inspector Christina Maclennan, former head of the Criminal Investigation Department at the States police. The States police will also be supported by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The L’Ecume II, skippered by Michael Michieli, sank after colliding with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast at about 5.30am on Thursday 8 December. >click to read< 09:45

F/V L’Ecume II: Search for missing Jersey fisherman ‘will continue’

The search for a missing fisherman whose trawler sank off Jersey will continue, the government has said. Jersey-based L’Ecume II sank after colliding with a Condor freight ferry on 8 December. The bodies of the two crew members, Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn, have been recovered, but skipper Michael Michieli has not been found. Deputy Chief Minister Kirsten Morel said next steps in the search were being considered. “There’s a range of options including further exploration of L’Ecume with divers or it is possible we may also need to look at the potential for raising the vessel,” >click to read< 09:25

Sunken fishing boat bodies identified

Two bodies recovered from near a sunken fishing trawler off the coast of Jersey have been identified as the crewmen. Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat died when L’Ecume II sank after it collided with a freight ferry at about 05:30 GMT on 8 December. A search and recovery operation for the boat’s missing skipper, Micheal Michieli, continues. Jersey Police said its “thoughts continue to be with the families and friends affected by this tragedy”. >click to read< 16:42

L’Ecume II: Unmanned craft carries out ‘extensive search’ below deck at wreck site

An unmanned craft has started work to access and search the last remaining areas of the trawler which sank after colliding with a Condor freight ship. The underwater robot has been surveying the wreck site following the collision between L’Ecume II and Commodore Goodwill which claimed the lives of three fishermen. Ports of Jersey says that areas of the trawler’s deck and accommodation structure have been removed and that the final stage of the search is now under way. >click to read< 16:06

Tributes to a ‘a hard-working hero’ who died in trawler tragedy off Jersey’s coast

A ‘generous’ man with ‘big dreams’, Larry Simyunn was also the family’s ‘hard-working hero’, according to his aunt Gigi Skye. Mr Simyunn was one of three fishermen who died after the L’Ecume II collided with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill off the west coast last Thursday morning, along with father of two Michael Michieli and Jervis Baligat – also from the Philippines. Two bodies have since been found at the site of the trawler, although their identities have not yet been confirmed. Ms Skye said: ‘His entire life, Larry has always had such a deep love for his family. He was selflessly driven, devoting everything he had to the people he loved most.’ >click to read< 07:28

Two bodies found near sunken fishing boat in Jersey

Skipper Michael Michieli and crewmen Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat were onboard the L’Ecume II when it collided with a freight ferry on Thursday. A search and recovery operation is ongoing, with specialist equipment being used to inspect the vessel. The fishing trawler collided with the Commodore Goodwill at about 05:30 GMT and sank in about 131ft (40m) of water. A large offshore support vessel was commissioned by the Ports of Jersey to survey the site. Police have not confirmed which of the three men have been found. >click to read< 12:59

Bailiff of Jersey’s appeal after flats blast and trawler sinking

An appeal has been set up to provide support for those affected by two tragedies in Jersey. It comes after three people were confirmed dead with more bodies expected to be found after explosion in a block of flats, in St Helier. And three fishermen who were involved in a maritime collision with a freight vessel are still missing after their fishing boat sank on Thursday. The Bailiff’s Island Appeal aims to help people affected by both events. Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq said the appeal would help “meet the needs of those individuals as they arise in the coming days”. >click to read< 15:34

Jersey fishing boat sinking: Two crewmen named

Two crewmen missing after their fishing boat was involved in a collision with a freight vessel off Jersey have been named. Larry Simyun and Jervis Baligat were on board the L’Ecume II when it sank off Jersey at about 05:30 GMT on Thursday, Ports of Jersey (POJ) said. Both men had been on the boat with skipper Michael Michieli. A search operation for the men was called off on Friday with attention switching to recovery of the vessel. Mr Michieli and the two crew members were on the L’Ecume II when it collided with the Commodore Goodwill. >click to read< 12:16

Search for skipper and crew of sunk Jersey fishing boat called off

The search for a skipper and two crew lost when their Jersey fishing boat collided with a freight vessel in the Channel and sank has been called off after rescuers concluded there was no chance of them still being alive. A support vessel with a remotely controlled underwater craft is heading to the area to survey the spot where the boat is resting 40 metres down on the seabed to establish the best way of recovering it. The Jersey coastguard offered its sympathies to the family and friends of the skipper, Michael “Mick” Michieli and the two unnamed crew members, who are from the Philippines. >click to read< 15:10

The search for three fishermen is under way for a second day after a fishing boat sank off the coast of Jersey.

The captain and two crew members of the L’Ecume II are missing after it was in collision with the Commodore Goodwill ship just after 05:30 GMT on Thursday. Jersey Coastguard confirmed its tug, the RNLI and the Channel Islands Air Search plane was involved. Local fishermen also offered to assist in the search after the fishing vessel sank in about 131ft (40m) of water. The decision to resume the search was made after reviewing the footage from a remotely operated underwater vehicle that was used to examine the sunken vessel. >click to read< 08:40

Jersey: Fears grow for missing fishermen who vanished along with their boat

Hopes are fading for the crew of a fishing boat who went missing off the coast of Jersey in the early hours of this morning. A major search has been under way throughout the day after a trawler collided with a cargo ship and sent three people overboard.  Specialist divers have been involved in a search and rescue operation, but it has been suspended for the night. Efforts will resume in the morning around the area where the fishing vessel L’Ecume II disappeared in 40-metre-deep water. One of the missing men has been named locally as Michael Michieli, the skipper of the Jersey-registered vessel. It struck the Commodore Goodwill, a 120m freight carrier with a tonnage of 11,166, at around 5.30am this morning. >click to read< 19:24

Wreck of trawler which collided with Condor freight ship ‘located on seabed’

The wreck of the trawler involved in a collision with the Commodore Goodwill has been located on the seabed in up to 50 metres of water, according to the head of the Jersey Fishermen’s Association. The vessel went down off the west coast after colliding with the freight ship at about 5.30am. Jersey Coastguard has confirmed that the vessel has sunk. A major search and rescue operation involving more than a dozen boats and aircraft is under way for three missing fishermen. >click to read< 07:03

Fishermen warn Jersey’s marine industry ‘cannot survive’ without assistance

Jersey‘s fishing industry is at risk as long-standing fishermen leave the job, saying they simply ‘cannot survive anymore’. In the last few years, the fleet has dropped from around 60 to 30 boats, and some have even moved to the UK where they can make more money. Fishermen blame ongoing tensions with France over licences and the rising cost of bait and fuel for the industry now reaching ‘crisis point’. Video, >click to read< 08:48

Fishermen turning back to port early as fuel costs rise

Jersey’s fishing fleet is struggling amid huge increases in fuel costs and is unable to compete on a level playing field with its French counterparts, who are receiving emergency government subsidies, according to an industry representative. ‘The rises over the last two weeks have been the biggest seen in history. The price of fuel is getting close to treble what it was at the start of the year,’ he said. This week the French government announced it would be providing fuel subsidies as various sectors and the population struggle to cope with rising costs brought on by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. >click to read< 09:07