A Hong Kong court has sentenced the master of a Chinese-registered oil tanker to 14 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge of endangering safety at sea, following a collision that sank a fishing boat and led to one death.
The incident occurred at about 0400 on 17 November 2024, as the tanker entered Hong Kong waters. After the impact, the fishing boat sank and seven people ended up in the sea. Six were rescued, while the fishing boat’s skipper was reported missing and later recovered nine days after the accident.
Court reporting said the master admitted taking a shorter route into Hong Kong waters and not assigning a dedicated lookout, citing concerns about crew fatigue. The tanker had detected fishing activity in the area by both visual observation and radar as it approached.
The master told the court he noticed the fishing boat’s light on the tanker’s starboard side and used a laser pointer in an attempt to alert the other vessel. However, he did not slow the tanker or alter course in time, and only reacted when the fishing boat was very close—about 50 m away—by attempting to go astern and switching on additional lights. The court found the response came too late to prevent the collision, describing the master’s actions as “obviously too slow.”
The tanker remained at the scene and assisted in search efforts, but the court also heard that an alarm was not sounded until after the collision and that required watchkeeping and collision-avoidance obligations were not properly followed.
