Fishing safely

Arn Heggers, of the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Office in Portland, has some startling information for Maine fishermen: Of the 11 Maine fishermen who died at sea in the past year, five of the deaths involved the insulated, watertight survival suits required by law. In four cases, the fishermen had their suits on when they died. But all five of the suits were old and poorly maintained. One of them didn’t fit.

William Anderson, a lobster harvester in Lubec, warns that poorly maintained fishing boats frequently are a cause of death at sea. For example, if an old rudder works loose in a heavy sea, water can rush in through the stuffing box and swamp the boat.

They are two of the panelists who will lead a water safety discussion at a Fisherman’s Forum session from 2:45 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 2, at the Samoset Resort in Rockland, The Coast Guard and the Maine State Marine Patrol will sponsor the seminar.

Mr. Heggers, a retired Coast Guard captain, says tightened safety regulations have gone about as far as they can go. For instance, requiring that each crew member have a survival suit on board is not enough. What is needed now, is for crew members to know how and when to put on their suits, to maintain them properly, and to practice regularly putting them on.

He plans to have the panel set forth these and other hazards, then let the fishermen suggest remedies. The idea is that if they are the ones who say what should be done they will be more willing to accept some new measures.

Mr. Heggers emphasizes that training and better maintenance can save lives. Alaska requires regular training of fishermen in safety procedures. And the Coast Guard in Alaska operates a voluntary dockside examination program for fishing boats. An examiner inspects crews and vessels on request and tells what changes should be made, but without any penalties or enforcement action. In the past 10 years, Alaska’s annual fishermen fatalities dropped from 36 to 17.

Mr. Anderson leans toward regular inspection of fishing boats, something like the mandatory automobile inspections that people now take for granted.

At the meeting Friday, the fishermen themselves can decide what’s needed. Their lives are the ones at risk.