NIOSH recently released an in-depth study of deaths in the commercial fishing industry.
From 2000 to 2009, the most fatalities occurred in the East Coast region (.pdf file). NIOSH found most of the region’s 165 deaths were caused by drowning following a vessel disaster, such as sinking, capsizing or fire.
The Alaska region (.pdf file) had the second highest number of fatalities with 133 commercial fishing deaths, followed by the Gulf of Mexico region (.pdf file), which had 116. The Gulf was the only region in which more fishermen died from falls overboard than vessel disasters.
- Digital Partners -
The lowest number of fatalities — 86 — occurred in the West Coast region (.pdf file).
