Coast Guard

Fishing

Commercial fishing remains a very dangerous profession. Coast Guard reports show that between 1994 and 2004, 1,398 American commercial fishing vessels were lost and 641 fishermen died. The Coast Guard has maintains that the proper vessel maintenance and equipment and fisherman preparedness is the best way to prevent serious injury or death in the commercial fishing industry.

Maintaining vessel stability and preserving watertight compartments reduces the risk of flooding and sinking, a major cause of boating deaths, and poor maintenance contributes to hull and equipment failures, which is the cause of 69% of vessel losses. The Coast Guard has proposed the following measures in order to ensure vessel maintenance and safety:

• Stability training for skippers of vessels over 30 feet long.
• Upgrading requirements for vessel watertight integrity.
• Revision of current stability calculations and instructions.
• Written Coast Guard notification of any structural changes to a boat that impact stability.
• Mandatory Coast Guard inspections of commercial fishing vessels.
• Training vessel owners and operators to effectively self-inspect their boats.

Immersion or survival suits are a required safety measure aboard documented fishing vessels operating seaward of the boundary line and north of 32 degrees north latitude. However, the Coast Guard would like to make it a requirement for all vessels operating in seasonally cold waters, as the use of survival suits more than doubles a person's chances of surviving a fall into icy waters. Other safety equipment that the Coast Guard suggests be used aboard fishing vessels includes certified survival crafts and high-water warning alarms.

Training and crew preparedness are proven to reduce boating casualties. All fishing crews should receive safety and survival training, and recurring safety drills should be practiced. Crew members should also receive CPR training every three years.