Commercial fishing is the most dangerous job in the nation and the Coast Guard is seeking new ways to reduce the number of lives lost. Ed Page, chief of the Coast Guard's marine safety program in Alaska. We see the same pattern over and over again. We've studied the causal factors of fishing vessel casualties over the last 10 years to come up with a list of the top 10 safety factors that truly make a difference. If a mariner uses this check off list, his or her chance of having a safe voyage greatly improves.
Many vessels founder when caught in weather that exceeded their capabilities.
A skilled and trained crew can get a vessel through rough weather, and, if the vessel does sink, they can operate the safety equipment. Crew training and rest is critical. Eighty percent of maritime accidents are attributable to human error. 3 Stability Many vessels are lost due to stability problems. Operators should ensure the catch and deck gear is properly secured, hatches are watertight, and the vessel is not overloaded.