The Coast Guard ships Conception Bay and Sacred Bay are due to complete planned maintenance by mid-month when they are scheduled to return to their stations in Twillingate and Old Perlican respectively.

Harvesters, eager to prosecute the snow crab fishery, have raised safety concerns about the availability of the two vessels.

The Coast Guard says it is maintaining search and rescue standby in those areas with larger vessels until the ships return to their stations for the season.

The Coast Guard says with little to no ice cover around the Avalon Peninsula, crews at the Old Perlican station are currently on standby to help with search and rescue capacity with the use of a fast rescue craft.