West Coast Fishing Boat Fatalities
California, Oregon and Washington Fisheries Deadlier than Alaska's
National research shows that commercial fishing vessel safety could greatly be improved along the west coast of the United States.
Commercial fishing has long been recognized as a dangerous profession. Discovery Channel's The Deadliest Catch, a reality television program about crab fishing in the Bering Sea has brought this fact home to many people.
Researchers with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a report on 25 April 2008 concerning commercial fishing fatalities occurring on the west coat of the United States entitled Commercial Fishing Fatalities — California, Oregon, and Washington, 2000–2006. One of the report's findings is that the average annual fatality rate for California, Oregon, and Washington during this time period was 238 deaths per 100,000 full-time fishermen, twice the national rate of 115 deaths per 100,000 full-time fishermen. The west coast fatality was even higher than Alaska's death rate of 107 per 100,000.
In a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) media briefing, Dr. Jennifer Lincoln of the NIOSH Alaska Field Station said of the problem, "Seventy-four percent of the fatalities resulted from the loss of a vessel, and 19 percent resulted from a fall overboard. We then took a closer look at vessel losses, and we found that the leading contributing factors to these events were weather conditions, large waves, flooding and vessel instability."
West Coast Fatalities Quantified - There were a total of 58 fatalities in the commercial fishing industry on the west coast between 2000 and 2006: 36% in Oregon, 34% inCalifornia and 29% in Washington. Causes of the death included:
- 47% Capsizing or Sinking
- 19% Falls Overboard
- 7% Deck or Diving Injuries
All of the victims were male. Contributing factors included fishing alone, gear gear entanglement, working on a slippery deck, and alcohol or drug use. None of the people who died from a vessel loss could enter a life raft. None of the fishermen who died from a fall overboard were wearing a lifejacket. The shellfish fishery caused the greatest number of fatalities.
Why the Disparity with Alaska's Experience? - Alaska has employed a number of programs to reduce injury or death from commercial fishing. Some include a voluntary dockside safety inspection program, compulsory safety drill training, stability certifications, mandatory use of survival suits, and increased surveillance of the fleet by the Coast Guard. CDC data suggests fishermen in Alaska are seven times more likely to wear an immersion suit and 15 times as likely to use a life raft compared to their southern contemporaries.
The Need for Similar Measures on the West Coast - Alaska's preseason dockside enforcement program for the crab fishery would transfer easily to the west coast. Inspectors ensure vessels are carrying proper safety gear and are not overloaded. The use of life rafts and immersion suits is mandated in Alaska and requiring this same equipment to be used further would save lives.
The U.S. Coast Guard has jurisdiction over fishing vessel safety in the United States. The industry is regulated under the Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act of 1988 (CFIVSA). Changes to the act could require mandatory vessel safety inspections and wider use of safety equipment to lower the risk of injury or death while commercial fishing.
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