Safety
It is vitally important that all fishermen ensure that their vessels are safe. There are major risks involved in the fishing industry. People with this job are 100 times more likely to be in a fatal accident than in other sectors.
In the UK it is estimated that for every 1000 fishing vessels there will be around 55 accidents. For this reason the Maritime Coastguard Agency believes that safety is one of the most essential issues that needs to be tackled. So what can fishermen do to keep their boats up to modern standards?
Equipment
One of the key items of any fishing vessel is life jackets. The owner of the boat should stock it with enough life j
ackets for every member of the crew on board. This will increase their chances of survival if the boat ends up sinking.
Unfortunately it is still common to see fishermen not wearing this life saving piece of equipment. It is estimated that 82 people in the industry died as a result of falling into the sea without a buoyancy aid between 1996 and 2006. It is also recommended that additional life jackets be stored on boats for emergency scenarios.
Other important equipment for boats include sea worthy life rafts and emergency radio beacons. Life rafts keep crew members out of the dangerous water as they wait to be rescued. Beacons are used by coast guard teams to locate those who have been lost sea. When combined, this gear increases the chances of fishermen making it out of dangerous situations alive.
