By Sharon N. Simon[email protected]The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard has issued an urgent safety appeal to local fishermen, warning that secrecy over prized fishing spots is severely hampering life-saving search and rescue operations. The Coast Guard also coordinates with the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Guadeloupe, Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue (ABSAR), the Fisheries Division and the local boating community. “Complacency is the chief failing,” Capt Simon noted, urging mariners to abandon the mindset that nothing will go wrong. To improve survival chances and search efficiency, the Coast Guard advises all mariners to leave a written trip plan with a relative, detailing departure and return times along with target GPS coordinates. If a vessel begins taking on water or suffers engine failure, mariners are urged to contact the Coast Guard immediately rather than waiting for the situation to escalate.