Shipmasters are being advised to increase vigilance in Chinese coastal waters in expectation of a huge rise in fishing traffic in the country’s major shipping lanes.

Over recent years, there have been hundreds of deaths resulting from collisions between merchant ships and fishing boats, and China’s busy east-coast ports are an accident black spot.

The warning comes from Beijing and Shanghai-based Huatai Insurance Agency & Consultant Service in a loss-prevention note to shipowners. The insurer and protection-and-indemnity correspondent said that China’s summer fishing ban will be lifted from 1 September in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea. A sudden and significant increase in traffic should be expected.

Huatai’s figures show that between 2006 and 2011 there were 268 fishing boat collisions resulting in 562 deaths, with most incidents occurring between August and October.

The Chinese fishing grounds are characterised by heavy fog, and many fishing vessels do not have automatic identification system (AIS) equipment or VHF radio to communicate their position to merchant ships. Increasing the danger, fishing vessels generally follow the tide, fish in packs and turn off engines and lights during night fishing.

Huatai has drawn up maps of the danger areas and added advisory notes to officers. It has advised ships' crews: “Officers or watchmen should be familiar with the operational characteristics of fishing boats, such as trawlers. Crew members should keep a proper lookout and activate the radar in time. Furthermore, ships should sail at a safe speed, be well prepared and maintain a low speed approaching fishing areas.”

In one of the incidents to result in a full public safety probe, China Maritime Safety Administration (China MSA) investigated the 2009 collision between the 53,500-dwt CMB Biwa (built 2002) and the 77-gt fishing vessel Lu Ri Yu near Rizhao Port. China MSA said the bulker did not give way as required under collision regulations, was sailing too fast and did not maintain an adequate lookout. Six Chinese fishermen died.

Experts say the increased use of AIS has helped reduce the number of such collisions, but the past year has seen a number of casualties.

Last October, the Chandris-controlled, 299,000-dwt VLCC Australis (built 2003) was alleged to have been in collision with a fishing boat outside the port of Ningbo, claiming six fishermen's lives. The tanker was detained by the authorities for three weeks.

Elsewhere, the master and second officer of the 42,000-dwt bulker Amber L (built 2000) were held in custody for 15 days after the ship was alleged to have collided with a fishing vessel off Kochi, India, in June, claiming three lives.

In January, six people died when the 38,000-dwt Inspiration Lake (built 2015) collided with a fishing boat off Pohang, South Korea.