Description of Incident
The National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority of Australia, NOPSEMA, has published an environmental alert relating to aquatic animals getting tangled up in subsea equipment.
During a subsea survey, the operator of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) noticed a shark caught in a pre-existing rope loop attached to an electrical flying lead (EFL). Fortunately, the shark was alive when found, and the rope was able to be cut using an ROV knife, allowing the shark to swim away. No additional harm was caused while releasing the shark. NOPSMEA notes that “it is common industry practice during installation of some subsea equipment (such as EFLs and concrete mattresses) to affix rope loops or other installation aids to equipment to enable ROVs to manoeuvre the equipment into position, minimise the risk of damage to the equipment, and/or assist with later removal”.
NOPSEMA is also aware that other adverse fauna-equipment interactions have occurred in the industry, including interactions directly with ROVs; and that these have been inconsistently reported or not reported to the regulator.
To view this NOPSEMA safety alert published by IMCA in full, click the 'Download Alert' button above.
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