Routine Maintenance Turns Into Toxic Gas Emergency Aboard Fishing Vessel

A routine maintenance job aboard the fishing vessel Antarctic Discovery turned into a dangerous toxic gas incident after decomposing fish waste was accidentally pumped into a machinery space, sending four workers to the hospital, according to a new investigation by New Zealand’s Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC).

The accident occurred on February 21, 2025, while the vessel was in dry dock at Lyttelton for maintenance. TAIC’s report found that two apprentice fitters had entered the vessel’s bow thruster machinery space to work on piping located behind a holding tank containing a mixture of decaying fish offal and seawater.

Investigators concluded it