Safety

Commercial fishing in the U.S. employs up to 160,000 fishermen in about 80,000 fishing vessels. The industry consistently experiences one of the higher occupational fatality rates. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studies have sought to raise awareness of saftey concerns and steer fishermen to injury prevention and safety training opportunities.

A recently released NIOSH study of fishing fatalities in the U.S. indicates the fishing activities at highest risk as well as the specific details of the fatalities. Approximately 100 vessels are lost each year according to the U.S. Coast Guard and these lost-vessel events are the cause of approximately half of the fatalities nationwide.

The NIOSH study is separated by region of the U.S. For example, in New England the highest fatalities occured in the multi-species groundfish fishery with 23 deaths from 2000 to 2008. On the West Coast, Dungeness crab fishing operations were involved in 24 deaths over the same eight-year period — due mainly to vessel disasters.

The NIOSH study includes a comprehensive database with data on safety problems, including equipment and other factors that would be of interest to fishermen. To access the database and further information on this study, please visit that National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Commercial Fishing Safety page at: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/fishing/.