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SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Team, in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, offered hands-on training to more than 300 U.S. and international fishery observers at the Bahia Resort Hotel in Mission Bay, San Diego, from August 30 through September 1, 2016.
The goal of the training was to provide skills and tactics to individuals on how to respond to an emergent situation while performing the job at sea aboard commercial fishing vessels. The trainers use a damage control platform which simulates a vessel in distress taking on water. Participants repair burst hoses, fractured shell plating and damaged piping. These are a sample of emergencies that have occurred in the commercial fishing industry resulting in the unfortunate loss of lives and vessels. Observers completing the U.S. Coast Guard training will be better equipped to assist in the event of an emergency on a vessel that may be unfamiliar to them.
“The Coast Guard, along with fishery observers, shares the responsibility to protect living marine resources,” said James Stellflug, of Coast Guard Sector San Diego’s Fishing Vessel Safety Team. “Today however, we are performing the Coast Guard’s mission of ensuring the safety of life at sea by preparing observers to control flooding. There is an inherent risk associated with going to sea. This training will help mitigate some of the risk and perhaps assist in saving vessels and preserving lives.”
The interactive training coincides with the 8th International Fisheries Observer and Monitoring Conference being held in San Diego. U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego is being joined by members from the Eleventh Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles Long Beach and Coast Guard Sector San Francisco.
“I first trained fishery observers in Hawaii back in 2000. I am glad to see the thriving relationship with NOAA fisheries continue and look forward to future endeavors,” Stellflug said.
The U.S. Coast Guard has a long standing goal to reduce fatalities in the commercial fishing industry. It uses a three-pronged approach including regulation enforcement via at-sea boardings, voluntary and mandatory dockside examinations, and outreach efforts such as damage control training. U.S. commercial fishing vessels operating beyond three miles from shore are required to be examined and verified to be in compliance with existing safety regulations. Verification is established through dockside exams conducted nationwide by U.S. Coast Guard examiners trained to assist with ensuring vessels are safe and in compliance with safety regulations. Vessels that undergo and successfully complete a dockside exam are issued a safety decal which may decrease the chances of a vessel boarding and reduce the at-sea boarding procedure.
Fishery observers are at the forefront when it comes to the crucial and difficult task of preserving fisheries. They embark onboard fishing vessels and depart on voyages lasting days, weeks, and even months. Their task is to personally observe and record fishing tactics and catches. This data assists governments in conserving and managing/maintaining a sustainable fishery. Fish are not only a healthy protein source for the global population, they also provide major economic benefits to the fishing communities and support industries.
For more information on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Program or to schedule a free dockside exam visit http://www.fishsafe.info or call your regional fishing vessel safety examiner at:
San Diego (619) 278-7249
Los Angeles, Long Beach & Orange County (310) 521-3744
Santa Barbara and Ventura (805) 962-7430