Webmaster and Plank Owner
Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Examiners Association
Commercial fishing is one of our nation’s most hazardous industries.
The Coast Guard is committed to increasing safety in the fishing industry.
The main objective is to increase compliance
with the minimum safety requirements found in
Title 46 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 28—
Requirements for Commercial Fishing Industry Vessels.
"...Between 1999 and 2003, for the US, a total of 528 uninspected commercial fishing vessel
were lost and 291 fishermen died.
“These figures clearly demonstrate that the death rate for the uninspected commercial fishing vessel industry is unacceptable in comparison to other segments of the maritime industry and the American workforce in general,” the analysis stated.
Furthermore, data compiled from voluntary dockside examinations “show conclusively” that increased survival rates of both fishermen and vessels are directly proportional to the proper equipping and maintenance of safety gear on vessels, “particularly when the crew has been properly trained to use these systems effectively in emergency response scenarios.”
Yet the Coast Guard estimates that only six percent of the approximately 90,000 uninspected commercial fishing vessels in the US today have had the voluntary dockside examination..."