Commercial fishing remains one of the nation’s most dangerous occupations, with more than 500 fishermen killed on the job between 2000-2009, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The CDC report found that of the 504 commercial fishing deaths recorded during that period, the majority (261) were the result of a vessel disaster, 155 occurred when a crew member fell overboard, and 51 were the result of injuries sustained on the boat. Commercial fishing risks vary by region based on weather and other factors. The CDC report found that the greatest number of deaths took place off the coast of Alaska (26 percent), the Northeast (25 percent), the Gulf of Mexico (23 percent), the West Coast (16 percent), and the Mid- and South Atlantic (8 percent).
Deaths from commercial fishing have been declining since 1992. However, the report suggested that a greater emphasis by the commercial fishing industry on the use of personal flotation devices and alarms that sound when a crew member goes overboard could help reduce workplace deaths further.