The Latest Info

NEW - Coast Guard releases Voluntary Inititives and Good Marine Practices for Commercial Fishing Vessel in lieu of Alternate Safety Compliance Program (ASCP).

Coast Guard releases Marine Safety Alert - Reminder to trawlers and other vessel that work the ocean floor about discarded munitions.

Coast Guard releases Marine Safety Alert - Reminder about hazardous atmospheres in holds

Coast Guard releases Marine Safety Information Bulletin - Suspends development of Alternate Safety Complaince Program (ASCPs) for voluntary safety guidelines.

NOAA equipment in the Puget Sound and Straight of Juan de Fuca could cause gear entanglement.

NEW - Electronic Charts are now allowed, but see these details.

Latest info on Engineers License Requirements

Asst Engineers extended deadline... again

New construction requirements

An end to 2182 kHz monitoring by the USCG

Surviving falls overboard

Fatigue is deadly - How to manage it.

Updated rules for pumping fuel as cargo (Processors)

Oil Spill Response Plans requirements vsls > 400GT

Coast Guard responds to false EPIRB alert.

The Coast Guard once again recieved an Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) distress signal and launched Coast Guard rescue assets, then learned the previous owner had discarded it after replacing it with a new EPIRB.

When descarding old EPIRBs it is important to remove the tattery in order to avoid an old EPIRB from inadvertently sending out a distress signal. This happens often according to the Coast Guard District Command Center in Seattle Washington..

Fishing Vessels chartered by the NMFS as an oceanographic research vessel.

There has been a lot of concern that the Coast Guard is changing the rules for fishing vessels chartered to do research work. The official word from our headquarter office is that there is no change. Read more...

June 21, 2016 - Coast Guard announces the publishing of a Notice of Proposed Rule Making for Commercial Fishing Vessels.

The Coast Guard proposes to align its commercial fishing industry vessel regulations with the mandatory provisions of 2010 and 2012 legislation passed by Congress that took effect upon enactment. The alignments would change the applicability of current regulations, and add new requirements for safety equipment, vessel examinations, vessel safety standards, the documentation of maintenance, and the termination of unsafe operations. Click here

Three new requirements taking effect in 2016 that you should know about.

1. New VHF Radios with Direct Selective Calling (DSC)
By January 20th 2016, all commercial fishing vessels 300GT and greater must replace existing VHF radios with VHF radios with (DSC) capability. View Public Notice.

Vessel operating only in Alaska waters are exempt from this requirement (see the Public Notice to learn more about this requirement)

The DSC radio must be programmed with the Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number and vessel information. When connected to a GPS these new radios can send the vessels location automatically. Vessels that are not required to have a GPS are not mandated to have one in order to make that feature on the radio functional. Many vessels do have a GPS or plotting system and it is recommended that the proper connection to the DSC be made if possible.

THIS ITEM HAS BEEN POSTPONED INDEFINITLY 2. Survival craft that allow any part of a person body to be immersed in water no longer allowed
By February 26th, 2016 vessels operating beyond 3 miles from shore that currently are required to carry either a life float or rigid buoyant apparatus, will no longer be able to use either. These vessels will now be required to carry at a minimum an inflatable buoyant apparatus. Vessels that operate inside 3 miles from shore may be allowed to continue to carry such devices (we are waiting to see what the language we get from congress in the upcoming Coast Guard Authorization Act). (See Policy Letter)

3. Automatic Identification System (AIS)
By March 1, 2016, self propelled commercial fishing vessels, fish tender vessel and fish processing vessels that are 65 feet or greater are required to have installed either a Class A or Class B (AIS) in accordance with (33 CFR 164.46(b)(1)(i)). If you have questions please refer to the USCG Navigation Center website..

4. Requirement to Submit a Notice of Arrival
By April 30th 2016 vessels greater than 300 gross tons and all vessels coming from a foreign port must submit a Notice of Arrival (NOA) to the National Vessel Movement Center (NVMC). Below are the 3 options for submitting the notice:

• Via the web at - http://www.nvmc.uscg.gov Click “Submit NOAD Online” button in upper right corner. If you don’t have a user name, create one.
• Email - enoad@nvmc.uscg.gov.
• Fax to - 1-800-547-8724 or 301-264-2684

Here is the information you need to include in the NOA? See the table 33 CFR 160.206. NOTE: "CDC" in the table is defined as Certain Dangerous Cargoes 33 CFR 160.204

When is my vessel a commercial fishing vessel?

It doesn't matter if your vessel is US documented or state registered, if you catch fish with the intent to sell them, you are operating a commecial fishing vessel. Commercial fishing vessels are required to comply with the commercial fishing vessel safety regulations.

Click here to visit the Dockside Examinations page and use the "Checklist Generator" to obtain a checklist for your particular vessel and operations.