Fisheries Monitoring & Analysis (FMA) Division
FMA Divisions Works to Ensure Safety of Observers and Staff
An observer practices the correct technique
to enter water from a height while wearing an exposure suit.
Operations and Administration
Each year, approximately 400 observers spend a total of approximately 36,000
days at sea collecting data used in managing Alaskan groundfish fisheries.
Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis (FMA) staff supplement this work with additional
sea time on research cruises. Despite this large volume of deployments, the
FMA Division maintains an excellent safety record. However, the sea can be
a dangerous work environment.
Recognizing the high potential of danger at sea, safety is a key focus of
FMA operations and training. NOAA Fisheries Service now requires all vessels
carrying observers to have a current United States Coast Guard (USCG) Commercial
Fishing Vessel Safety decal showing that they have passed a dockside safety
inspection. Observers are required to review this decal when they board
to ensure that it is current and that key safety equipment is still on
the vessel. Observers document these inspections and record emergency drills
held onboard their vessels using the Vessel Safety Checklist in their logbooks.
These measures help to ensure that necessary safety equipment is onboard
and increase safety awareness for both the observer and vessel personnel.
FMA field office staff provide monthly updates regarding all safety concerns
reported by observers. These safety reports allow us to track areas of
concern. FMA staff work closely with the NMFS Office for Law Enforcement
and the USCG to support activities that promote the safety of fishing vessels
required to carry fisheries observers.
Field Operations
Field experiences of observers in this year’s fishery highlight important
aspects of safety. The FMA Division does not train observers to be first responders
in emergency situations as we defer to the vessel crew. However, there are
times when observers are called to use their skills when emergencies occur.
Early this year an experienced groundfish observer was asked to assist in a
medical emergency when a crewmember was found unconscious in the bathroom of
a catcher processor trawl vessel fishing in the Bering Sea. The observer and
the chief steward stabilized the crewmember and monitored his vital signs.
The USCG was notified and dispatched a helicopter from St. Paul Island. When
the crewmember’s pulse was undetected, the observer (who had previously
obtained CPR certification) and the steward provided CPR until a pulse could
again be felt. When the helicopter arrived, the observer again provided CPR
before the crewmember was evacuated. She was able to provide the USCG rescue
swimmer with a history of the crewman’s vital signs. The boat was later
informed that the man suffered from severe dehydration and had recovered
fully after receiving medical attention.
In April one of our observers was abruptly awakened early in the morning
when the fishing vessel Laura, a 93-foot trawl vessel, struck a rock 6 miles
from the port of Kodiak while returning from a fishing trip. Upon receiving
a Mayday emergency call from the vessel, the USCG instructed them to deploy
their Emergency Positioning Indicator Radio Beacons. The crew of the Laura
and the observer were hoisted off the vessel by a USCG helicopter and flown
to Kodiak without injury. With assistance from a tug boat and another fishing
vessel, the Laura was floated during high tide the following day and returned
to Kodiak without any major incident and the observer continued work onboard
another trawl vessel.
Information and Monitoring Technologies
As part of the FMA safety precautions, FMA staff maintain frequent contact
with observers via the Division’s at-sea data entry software and communication
system. The primary uses of this system are data transmission and communication
related to sampling and data recording, but observers also use the system’s
text messaging feature to relay any safety concerns they may have. When a message
that relays a marine casualty or safety issue is received, it is immediately
forwarded to a network of NOAA and USCG personnel who are trained to respond
appropriately. Should a message relay a serious threat to an observer’s
life or health, or require the removal of an observer from the field, a series
of procedures are implemented to ensure a timely response. This at-sea data
entry software and communication package provides a valuable tool and safety
net to observers in the field.
Observer Services
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Observers practice
flipping an overturned life raft. Photos by Joanna Miles.
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FMA staff provide comprehensive cold water survival training to new observer
trainees before they deploy to sea. This training has been reviewed on a
national level by the National Observer Program and exceeds NOAA Fisheries
Observer Safety training standards. All FMA safety trainers have completed
the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) marine safety instructor
class. Consistent with FMA’s emphasis on safety, the two full time
field coordinators in Dutch Harbor and Kodiak also have completed the AMSEA
training. This ensures the field coordinators are up to date with current
safety materials and allows them to further assist observers in the field
when evaluating potential safety concerns.
Beginning in 2006, cold-water refresher training was implemented for the
hundreds of prior observers during their required annual 4-day briefing.
The refresher training reviewed information presented in the initial cold-water
survival training and provided additional hands-on practice with equipment
and techniques used in the cold-water environment. The training began with
a quiz on a range of topics covered in the initial cold-water training, which
provided prior observers a means to evaluate their current knowledge and
identify areas needing review. Following the quiz, the observers examined
real life examples of accidents at sea. Observers reviewed the types of personal
floatation devices with the opportunity to try on various models and discussed
individual scenarios and the pros and cons of each type of device. In further
preparation for an emergency, observers reviewed personal survival kits and
were instructed in how to create an appropriate kit to bring to sea. A personal
survival kit is an easy and effective way to ensure an observer has the fullest
possible advantage in a survival situation. This year, a USCG commercial
vessel safety inspection program representative reviewed the regulatory requirements
vessels must meet in regard to safety equipment in order to carry an observer.
This included an in depth review of life rafts, Emergency Positioning Indicator
Radio Beacons, and hydrostatic releases, along with the other various equipment
a vessel is required to have on board.
To wrap up the refresher training, all observers participated in a water
drill. During the drill, observers were required to don an immersion suit
in less than 60 seconds, enter the water from a height of 3-4 feet using
the correct technique, swim both alone and in a group, demonstrate skills
designed to increase the chance of survival if immersed in the water, board
a life raft from the water, and flip an overturned raft in the water. Overall,
the refresher training was well received by the prior observers, some of
whom had not received any additional training in years, and provided them
with the knowledge and skills to help ensure their safety while working in
the cold waters of Alaska.
By Allison Barns, Glenn Campbell, Brian Dixon, Brian Mason, and Rob Swanson
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