The Irish Coast Guard has reported a reduction in the number of lives lost off the coast but emergency incidents involving pleasure craft have increased.
Annual statistics for last year released yesterday also show that hoax calls to the emergency services were down by 50 per cent.
The Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, has congratulated the Irish Coast Guard and its associate agencies for "exceptional work" over the past year.
He said there had been a reduction in lives lost to 50, compared to 57 in 2000.
Earlier this week, he announced that safety training for fishing crews would be compulsory from March, on a phased basis over the next six years.
The coast guard statistics show that there was a 6.3 per cent rise in the number of persons assisted or saved, at 5,135 for 2001, compared to 4,831 incidents for the previous 12 months.
There was also a 2.3 per cent increase in the number of incidents to which the service responded.
Long periods of stable weather may be one of the reasons for a significant reduction in the number of incidents involving fishing vessels - at 667 for the year, compared to 732 in 2000.
However, there was a 12.8 per cent increase in alerts involving pleasure craft, a reflection of increased leisure activity without consequent experience or training.
Last month, a survey for Afloat magazine also pointed to increased complacency among older sailors, mainly male, who did not tend to wear life jackets on board vessels in "normal" weather.
The number of hoax calls fell from 54 in 2000 to 28 last year.
The Minister has conveyed his sympathy to all families who lost loved ones during the year.
He said while his Department was trying to expand the marine tourism and leisure sector, he wanted to ensure that there was equal emphasis on the need for safety.
