The National transportation safety board will recommend that the coast guard ask congress permission to inspect our nations fishing fleets. The current recommendations are related to the enquiry into the sinking of Alaska’s Ranger last March. This incident resulted in 5 people losing their lives and 42 people being rescued in treacherous conditions. The vessel is still 6000 feet below the sea.
Fishing is a dangerous job, with fisherman often having to risk their lives in 20-25 foot swells and 25 knot winds, working in isolated and vast area’s like Alaska’s Bering sea. There are more lives lost per million fisherman than any other profession.
The investigation into the sinking of the ranger still has many unanswered questions alcohol may have even been a factor but one thing is for sure, stricter regulations of fishing fleets are needed, to protect the safety of the fisherman. Currently vessel inspections are voluntary but this may change and become mandatory.
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