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Government has Strong Words and Recommendations for Commercial Fishing Industry in New York and Around the Nation

If you are an East Coast commercial fisherman, or the loved one of a professional fisherman, then the National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) strong words about fishing last month come as no surprise. It was certainly no surprise to our New York Jones Act attorneys.

Last month, the NTSB called the safety hazards currently present in the commercial fishing industry “unacceptable” and described regulations to protect commercial fisherman as “long overdue.”

NTSB Recommendations to Improve Commercial Fishing Safety

Commercial fishing is the occupation with the highest fatality rate of all occupations in the U.S. Accordingly, the NTSB made five specific recommendations to the United States Coast Guard in an attempt to reduce commercial fishing fatalities.

Specifically, the NTSB is recommending that the Coast Guard:

  • Establish Standards for Smaller Vessels. The NTSB is suggesting that the Coast Guard establish guidelines for vessels that are 79 feet or less in length that address stability and integrity.
  • Require Owners, Masters, and Chief Engineers to be Appropriately Trained. After training, owners, masters and chief engineers should be able to demonstrate competency in vessel stability, watertight integrity, subdivision, and use of vessel stability information.
  • Require Everyone on the Deck of a Commercial Fishing Vessel to Wear a Personal Flotation Aid at all Times.
  • Require Owners to Take Specific Steps to Ensure Safety. Those steps include installing appropriate fall overboard recovery devices, ensuring that all equipment is functional, and regularly conducting safety drills to make sure crewmembers know how to use equipment.
  • Require Crewmembers to Complete Safety Training. Crewmembers would need to provide certification of completed trainings.

When to Contact a New York Jones Act Attorney

If you have lost a loved one in a commercial fishing accident, or if you have been injured in a commercial fishing accident, then it is important to understand your legal rights and potential recovery by calling a New York Jones Act lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.

The experienced New York maritime accident lawyers of Hofmann & Schweitzer welcome your call at 1-800-3-MAY-DAY (1-800-362-9329) and encourage you to read our FREE publication: The Legal Rights of Injured Seamen and Other Commercial Mariners.


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