USCG fishing safety deadline approaching

Starting on Oct. 16 the U.S. Coast Guard will begin requiring all commercial fishing vessels that operate more than three miles from shore to have completed a mandatory Coast Guard dockside safety examination.

The requirement, which is a regulatory change, came about as a result of the passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 by Congress. The change will affect commercial fishing fleets across the nation, and the Coast Guard is currently undertaking outreach efforts to make operators aware of the change before the October deadline.

“The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 introduces a number of new rules the Coast Guard will be enforcing,” said Ken Lawrenson, the Coast Guard District 17 commercial fishing vessel safety coordinator. “The use of ‘three miles from the territorial sea baseline’ is a bit of a change from the existing regulation, which uses a complicated definition of the ‘boundary line.’ It will be a lot easier to understand because most nautical charts show a thin gray line that indicates where that three miles from the territorial sea baseline is located so it becomes very simple to see if you are operating seaward or shoreward of that line. If you are operating, either fishing or transiting your boat, beyond that three-mile line, then the (Oct. 16) deadline applies to you, and your fishing vessel needs to have completed a dockside safety exam.”

Dockside examinations are free of charge, and currently no penalties will be issued for discrepancies. If discrepancies are found, vessel owners will be issued a work list and a reasonable time to correct any issues. The goal is to bring commercial fishermen into compliance while minimizing disruptions to fishing.

“There is no good reason to put off or delay the start of an exam,” Lawrenson added. “Exams are free and most vessels already have the safety equipment and documentation to pass a dockside safety exam.”

In Wrangell and Petersburg, fishermen are asked to contact Scott Wilwert of Coast Guard Sector Juneau at (907) 463-2448 to schedule an examination.