A trawler sank after hitting rocks because its skipper left the wheel, an investigation in to the tragedy which claimed two lives revealed today.
The report also found the deaths could have been avoided if the crew had been wearing life jackets when it went down near Ardglass, Co Down.
Although the body of Donall Gibson (22) was recovered, father-of-two Conor Bogues (26) has been missing since the Greenhillsank last January.
As a new operation was due to be launched to retrieve the wreckage, the Department of Transport's Marine Accident Investigation Branch claimed the UK fishing industry's shocking death toll could be halved by following safety procedures properly.
Its inquiry into the Greenhillaccident discovered the wheelhouse was unattended when it foundered. Skipper Conrad Zych (27) who survived, left his lookout to go out on deck with Mr Gibson and Mr Bogues, the MAIB report found.
Chief Inspector Stephen Meyer, who headed up the inquiry, said: "It's fundamental to what happened here. If he had been in the wheelhouse the vessel would not have run into the rocks and there wouldn't have been an accident."
Mr Zych, from Ardglass, was unavailable for comment.
Far from being an isolated incident, however, skippers regularly join their crew as they prepare their catch for landing. One industry expert claimed fishermen were under so much pressure that the man in charge often puts the boat onto auto-pilot and goes out on deck to assist.
But Mr Meyer, who claimed ships in Northern Ireland are among the worst offenders, insisted there were no excuses.
"They have got to keep a watch. It's not only a legal obligation, it's just common sense," he said. "It's very nice for the skipper to offer to help crews, but it's much more important for him to make sure they are safe, which he can only do by staying in the wheelhouse."
Although all three men got off the sinking trawler, they were not wearing lifejackets, the inquiry found.
The emergency equipment had been stored in the cabins below, making it impossible to get to them as water flooded in.
The crew clung to a life-raft canister until it was inflated by the skipper. But it was initially opened upside down, and by the time it was righted both Mr Gibson and Mr Bogues had disappeared.
The report suggested they may have been struck by the canister as the raft inflated. Mr Zych was eventually rescued and treated in hospital for hypothermia.
Other factors which contributed to the sinking, according to the report, included penetrations on the trawler's bulkheads as it tried to move ahead after the grounding. This increased the rate of flooding through the boat's damaged bow.
Recommendations have been made to the Fishing Industry Safety Group in a bid to improve watchkeeping standards and prevent the wheelhouse being unattended at sea.
Fisherman are also to be given guidance and instructions on how to cope during emergency situations.
Meanwhile, attempts to recover the Greenhill are to be stepped up today as contractors try to raise it from the seabed. The body of Mr Gibson, from Downpatrick, Co Down was discovered close to the wreckage, although a major search operation failed to locate the remains of Mr Bogues, a Ballynahinch man.
His family will be kept informed throughout the operation, police said. Divers are on standby to go into the water at any stage during the operation, which could last for several weeks.
PA