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Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety - Pacific Northwest
Commercial fishing is one of our nation's most hazardous industries. Lives are often lost even though m ost casualties are preventable. A few safety initiatives have modestly reduced the number of injuries and deaths. Higher standards are opposed by fishermen due to the cost of implementation. As a result the fatality rate in the commercial fishing industry is over five times higher than that on other domestic commercial vessels. While maritime safety standards have been established, compliance is not universal because most commercial fishing vessels fall into the category of "uninspected vessels". Deficiencies are typically disclosed only when the Coast Guard boards a fishing vessel for other reasons. Serious shortfalls can lead to termination of the voyage, resulting in significant cost and inconvenience to owner/operators.
Mission: Prevent fishing vessel accidents .
Objective: Reduce fishing vessel casualties to levels approaching that of other commercial vessels.
Risks: Poor vessel or equipment condition, inadequate training in emergency response and use of survival gear, lack of awareness of or ignoring stability issues.
The Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Program (CFVS) helps fishermen comply with applicable laws, regulations and guidelines. The current Program seeks to improve safety through education, public awareness, voluntary dockside examination of vessels, and regulatory enforcement. Short-term plans include targeting high-risk fisheries and vessels. Long-term initiatives include proposing required safety examinations, emergency drill preparedness, crew training, and improving communications with fishermen regarding casualty prevention measures.
Coast Guard Offices in Puget Sound and Portland offer courtesy safety inspections to owner/operators of commercial fishing vessels. The purpose of exams is to ensure all safety equipment is on board and maintained properly, Knowledgeable examiners provide a detailed list of safety deficiencies. Vessels that meet applicable safety regulations are issued a safety decal. Vessels with a decal that are subsequently boarded for law enforcement purposes usually get only a spot check of major safety items, generally reducing the time involved. No fee is charged for this voluntary service, and no fines are generated for safety deficiencies. As a convenience to owner/operators, exams are conducted while the vessel is at the dock.
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