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.

RADM W

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.

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.

RDML W

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)