As of October 15, 2012, all U.S. commercial fishing vessels operating beyond three nautical miles offshore will be required to have a U.S. Coast Guard dockside safety examination. The mandatory dockside examination requirement, called for in legislation enacted in 2010, affects commercial fishing vessels nationwide, and includes all commercial fishing, fish tender and fish processing vessels.
“The goal of this new regulation is to improve safety. Commercial fishing continues to be the most dangerous of all maritime occupations — more workers die commercially fishing than in any other industry,” said Peggy Murphy, 11th Coast Guard District commercial fishing vessel safety specialist.
“A successful dockside safety examination ensures your vessel is in compliance with the law, but more importantly, safety exams have been proven to help increase crew survival when something goes wrong at sea. We want every commercial fisherman to come home safely,” Murphy says.
Although commercial fishing vessels operating beyond three nautical miles from the coast must have a safety examination, all U.S. commercial fishing vessels, regardless of where they operate, can request an exam and are encouraged by the Coast Guard to do so.
Commercial fishing vessel owners and operators can review information about the new regulations at the Coast Guard’s commercial fishing vessel safety program website, www.fishsafe.info.
For more information see: http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/1556011/Safety-examinations-required-for-commercial-fishing-vessels-