Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act that guides fishing in federal waters, National Standard 10 states: “Conservation and management measures shall, to the extent practicable, promote the safety of human life at sea.”
The current National Standard 10 guidelines, which help fishery managers implement that standard, were drafted in 1998 and since then fishery management and analytical methods to evaluate safety have changed and improved. Through the revision of these guidelines, NOAA’s Fisheries Service intends to enhance consideration of safety issues in fisheries management. NOAA is therefore issuing an advance notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register. The notice describes issues related to safety of human life at sea that NOAA’s Fisheries Service is considering addressing in the guidelines. For example, guidance on how to analyze fatality statistics to identify and address hazards within a fishery could be added to the National Standard 10 guidelines.
“The safety of fishermen is a top priority for NOAA,” said Eric Schwaab, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “The current standards need updating, and our goal is to get as much information as we can about how to make them work better.”
Commercial fishing is an extremely dangerous occupation. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, during 1992-2008, the average annual fatality rate for commercial fishermen was 128 deaths per 100,000 workers, compared to the average of four deaths per 100,000 workers for all US occupations.
In addition to inviting public comment and information through the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, NOAA is hosting a public meeting on May 19, 2011 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the NOAA Science Center, 1301 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Md. NOAA’s Fisheries Service may hold additional public meetings at other locations around the country during the comment period.
Update Guidelines In Fisheries Regulations
US - NOAAs Fisheries Service is asking for public input as it starts the process of updating the national guidelines that promote the safety of commercial and recreational fishermen in federal waters. These guidelines are used by federal fisheries managers as they draft fishing rules and regulations around the nation.
