DWH Response milestone for recreational fishing

Captains,

A milestone in oil spill response is re-opening of a closed fishing area. This week Secretary Barham decared 86% safe for recreational fishing. The 'red areas' remain closed, however opening the rest of Louisiana state waters applies to charterboat and bait fishing. Recreational fishing is not subject to Food and Drug Administration regulations.

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LDWF and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission Announce Large-Scale Opening to Recreational Fishing

BATON ROUGE (July 14, 2010) - Today Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission announced significant openings to recreational fishing. With this action, approximately 86 percent of recreational fishing in Louisiana will be open immediately today, July 14.

African maritime security - 'real and current' threats

Captains,

Piracy off the Horn of Africa has been a well publicized threat to marine transportation. Did you know that 22 percent of Africans get their protein from fish? It's good to see African ministers getting together at the AU to address maritime security.

In America, the founding fathers of the United States made maritime security one of their first priorities by establishing the Revenue Marine Service in 1790. Today the USCG conducts maritime security operations, including assisting in Africa.

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - Faced with radically growing organized piracy, illegal fishing and the dumping of toxic waste, Africa has called for practical measures to address what its officials call 'real and current' maritime security threats.

The call was made at a three-day continental meeting of African ministers in charge of maritime security at the AU headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, where the ministers also emphasized the need for Africa to better protect its waters.

"African countries should cooperate and coordinate their efforts on maritime security. We need to act now," Bright Mando, AU jurist, told the meeting, which opened Tuesday.

Fishing? Put safety first!

Captains,

Fishing safely takes time and money, which may be in short supply. Don't risk your life and your crew by being lackadaisical or cheap maintaining your vessel.

Coast Guard activities in the Atlantic northeast and Pacific northwest are designed to help save lives by helping fishermen be conscientious about safety.

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Atlantic Northeast

Read: Currier Post Online 4/11/10 Fishing Industry Focuses on Safety This a a great piece on scallop fishing safety in the Atlantic northeast. It begins....

The seas crested over 10 feet, and wind was building again past 30 knots, but scallop fishermen still worked 50 miles offshore, the names of their boats glowing bravely on an electronic plotter: Saga, Determination, Stephanie Vaughn, Lucky Dan

On the bridge of the Coast Guard cutter Vigorous, crew members could see the names of other vessels that sped past to the west -- the cargo container ships Shima and Furth, cutting tracks into and out from New Jersey's port terminals, their positions relayed by satellite to the Coast Guard's Automatic Identification System.

Pacific Northwest

Coast Guard highlights fishing vessel safety in Prince William Sound

VALDEZ, Alaska – Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Valdez recently kicked off its 2010 voluntary dockside commercial fishing vessel safety examination and safety compliance check initiatives in an effort to advance safety within the commercial fishing vessel fleet.

Coast Guard examiners will be available in Cordova beginning April 26 through May 22 for all commercial fishing vessel operators that are interested in scheduling a free voluntary dockside CFV safety exam. In Valdezexaminers are available throughout the year.

Voluntary dockside CFV safety exams are no fault and non-adversarial, serving to encourage compliance and discourage unsafe operations. Vessels not passing an examination will be provided a work list identifying deficiencies and items needing to be corrected for the vessel to be in full compliance with all applicable Federal Regulations. Successful completion of the exam results in issuance of a CFV safety decal.

Fisherman overboard - no lifejacket on

Captains,

Lifejackets save lives. Make sure your crew wears a lifejacket on deck.

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Jan 30, 2010

The Coast Guard suspended its search 6:30 p.m. Friday for a fisherman who reportedly fell overboard approximately 66 miles southeast of Beaufort Inlet.

Missing is Allen Nelson III, 52, a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel Scarlett Lady.

Crewmembers of the fishing vessel Shelly called watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina at 6:45 p.m. Thursday relaying that crew on the Scarlet Lady had witnessed the man, wearing yellow rain gear and no life jacket, falling overboard. The crew also reported they threw a life ring to him, but did not know whether he was able to get the ring.

Search and rescue air crews aboard an HC-130 Hercules airplane and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Elizabeth City searched Thursday night through Friday night for the man.

The crew of the Shelly, the Scarlett Lady, and the Coast Guard Cutter Seahorse and Staten Island, both 87-foot patrol boats, also participated in search efforts.

The rescue crews searched a total of 1,395 square nautical miles combined for Nelson.

No fishing with expired liferafts and documentation

Captains,
Failure to maintain survival and lifesaving equipment on a commercial fishing vessel is asking for trouble. The Coast Guard is especially concerned about compliance in Alaska in the winter. These fishermen will get a safety exam dockside before they go to sea again.
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JUNEAU, Alaska – The Coast Guard Cutter Naushon terminated the voyages of two 50-foot and one 45-foot commercial fishing vessels Wednesday near Craig for safety violations.

A boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter Naushon terminated the voyage of all three vessels between 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. One of the fishing vessels was terminated due to an expired life raft, while the other two were terminated due to lack of a primary lifesaving device. Two of the vessels also had expired documentation.

Life rafts aboard commercial fishing vessels must be repacked annually and the hydrostatic release must be replaced or serviced in the required time frame depending on the type.

"Life rafts and flotation devices have made the difference between life and death many times in Alaska," Said Capt. Melissa Bert, commander Sector Juneau. "We take the requirement to have them on board seriously."

All the vessels were escorted by the Naushon to Craig. Two of the vessels are homeported in Craig while the third hails from Klawock, Alaska.

The vessels must clear the terminable offenses prior to getting underway. All three vessels were given a compliance option that may reduce or remove any potential fines provided that the vessels pass a dockside safety exam.

Fifth District 'Safe Catch' Operation

Captains,

I bring this notice to your attention. I plan to encourage similar initiatives throughout the Coast Guard. Loss of life continues to plague the fishing industry and other operators of uninspected vessels.

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Fifth Coast Guard District Kicks Off Operation Safe Catch 2010

The Fifth Coast Guard District, which ranges from New Jersey to North Carolina,launched on Nov. 1, Operation Safe Catch 2010, a marine safety pulse operation that runs through Apr. 30, 2010. The pulse operation is intended to improve commercial fishing vessel safety and prevent loss of life and property at sea.

The implementation of the commercial fishing industry vessel regulations published in 1991 has reduced fishing vessel casualties and subsequent loss of life throughout the fishing fleet. However, as of Nov 1, 2009, there have been eight lives and nine fishing vessels lost in CY 2009 within the Fifth District, confirming that commercial fishing continues to rank among the most hazardous occupations in the U.S.

Operation Safe Catch 2010 is intended to increase the rate of safety compliance of commercial fishing vessels through: (1) Education, outreach and increased participation in the Coast Guard's voluntary dockside examination program; (2) Increased at sea enforcement of safety regulations through risk-based operations; and (3) Leveraging and expanding the Coast Guard's partnerships within the commercial fishing vessel industry and resource managers.

During the operation, Coast Guard at-sea boarding teams and dockside examiners will concentrate on "high risk" vessels. These are vessels in poor condition with inadequate safety equipment; have a history of repeated search and rescue interventions; or engage in higher risk fishery operations, such as one-person fishing vessels operated far from shore.

Pictured above: The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Finback tows the 71-foot fishing vessel Dictator Wednesday, Apr. 15, 2009, after it was involved in a collision with the 965-foot merchant vessel Florida 47 miles off the coast of Cape May, N.J. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/Petty Officer 2nd Class Roy A. Snyder)