FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, April 2, 1999
Contact: Cathy McDermott
(202) 267-2304
CG 07-99
Coast Guard Releases Fishing Vessel Casualty
Task Force Report
The U.S. Coast Guard will hold a press conference on the release of the final report of the Fishing Vessel Casualty Task Force on Tuesday, April 6. The Task Force was assembled in January as a result of a number of fishing vessel accidents since the beginning of 1999, and to examine the effectiveness of existing Coast Guard safety programs aimed at reducing the high death rate in the commercial fishing industry.
Rear Admiral Robert C. North, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, directed the formation of the task force. Members included representatives from the Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and representatives from the industry. Its charter included an evaluation of the recent casualties, a review the current fishing vessel safety program and past safety initiatives, and the development of a direction for government and industry.
The task force recommended both immediate and long-term solutions, including:
This Task Force report will give the Coast Guard a starting point from which to seek views of the members of the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Advisory Committee (CFIVAC), the fishing industry at large, safety professionals, interested government agencies and other stakeholders to develop an approach for improving fishing vessel safety.
The report will be officially released at a press conference at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 6 at Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J. For further information on this event, please contact Lt. Cmdr. John Fitzgerald or Allison Von Hagn at (757) 398-6272. The report will also be available on the Coast Guard web site at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-m/moa/docs/fishing.htm effective April 5. Questions regarding the report should be directed to Cathy McDermott at (202) 267-2304.
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