Australia’s offshore energy regulator NOPSEMA has issued an alert after a shark was found tangled in a rope loop attached to an electrical flying lead.
The shark was spotted by a ROV operator during a subsea survey. The operator was then able to use a knife on the ROV to free the shark which swam away.
It is common industry practice to put rope loops on some subsea equipment so that it can be maneuvered into position with a ROV. However, NOPSEMA says that if these loops are not removed, they pose an entanglement risk to marine fauna including protected species.
“It is the responsibility of the titleholder to ensure that environmental impacts and risks of petroleum activities continue to be identified and reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably practicable. Credible risks (such as fauna entanglement or interaction) should be evaluated when identified and control measures should be implemented,” said NOPSEMA in the alert.
These control measures could be removal of installation aids and other debris or using monkey fist knots, clamps or lifting pads that can be made safe when not in use. NOPSEMA also notes that incident reporting is mandatory, and that injury or death of protected species must be reported.