Anatec have carried out numerous studies to assess the risk to fishing vessels associated with offshore developments, including oil and gas platforms and offshore wind farms. Risks include fishing vessels colliding with surface installations and fishing gear snagging onto subsea infrastructure (e.g., subsea manifolds, cables and pipelines). Fishing vessel activity can be characterised using several data sources including AIS data, Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) satellite data, and effort and landings.

Anatec’s COLLRISK fishing model is used to assess the collision risk to structures from passing fishing vessels and from vessels actively fishing. The internal wind farm allision model can be used to assess the collision risk to wind turbines based on operational experience of vessels fishing within wind farms to date.

For subsea infrastructure, Anatec’s models can be used to assess the frequency of vessels snagging onto the structures, based on the fishing activity data, types and sizes of gear used and the dimensions of the subsea structures. Consequences can be assessed in terms of impact energies, pull-over forces and snag loads, or potential loss of life to fishermen. For decommissioning projects, the risk to fishermen can be assessed for various decommissioning options as part of the comparative assessment process.

Experience gained from the risk assessment should allow appropriate risk mitigation measures to be identified, for example, trenching or burying pipelines, surveying for spans and designing manifolds and wellheads to be over-trawlable.