Fishermen test personal flotation devices

Over the past year, more than 200 Alaska fishermen field-tested personal flotation devices -- PFDs -- as part of a life-saving project by federal safety specialists. Fatalities from falls overboard are the leading cause of fishing deaths. But fishermen resist wearing PFDs and a goal is to find out why.

"Since 1990 there have been 83 commercial fishermen who have died from falls overboard. None was wearing a PFD. Many were in minutes of being rescued when they lost strength and drowned. In those cases it very clearly could have been prevented with a PFD," said Devin Lucas, project leader with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

The project targeted trawl, longline, crabbers and salmon fisheries, and randomly assigned six new styles of PFDs to fishermen in Dutch Harbor, King Salmon, Kodiak, Homer, Seward and Bristol Bay. Each wore the PFD while working for 30 days and then rated it on comfort, how hot or cumbersome it was, and any modifications they might suggest.

Jennifer Lincoln, head of the NIOSH Commercial Fishing Safety Research and Design program, said she was amazed at the response by fishermen.

"Eighty-nine percent of the guys who tested the PFDs returned their forms -- that is almost unheard of. You'd expect 30-40 percent would be a respectable response rate. Fishermen really gave us the information we were asking," Lincoln said.

The PFD team also interviewed 400 other harvesters to get their attitudes, knowledge and beliefs about PFDs, and their perceived risk of falling overboard.

"It's so important to find something that the guys can work in because it's their uniform, it's their work gear," Lincoln said. "It's got to be comfortable and practical for the conditions. And what might be suitable for a salmon seiner in the summer might not be best for a Bering Sea crabber in the winter. So I can see how one PFD will not satisfy every person in every situation where they should be wearing one."

The favorite PFD selected by Alaska fishermen?

"The one that rated the highest was the Mustang inflatable PFD," said Lincoln. "The guys rated it to be very lightweight, not too tight, not bulky. It was easy to put on, easy to clean. It was rated quite high."

Only three of the 200 fishermen reported that any of the inflatable PFDs accidentally inflated, which also was a key part of the project.

The NIOSH team is compiling a full report on the PFD project and will provide all of the responses and data to gear manufacturers.

"It would seem that they would want to get as much information from the customer as possible. And the guys gave a lot of constructive criticism about how they would like a particular PFD modified to make it more comfortable," Lincoln said. "Whether it be it was slipping off their shoulders and they would like a strap in the middle, kind of like a back pack, or sometimes they wanted foam to be removable so that they didn't have to replace the whole thing. They were very innovative."

With a full report, the NIOSH team is compiling short PFD information guides for each of Alaska's fisheries.

A gear spokesman at Kodiak Marine Supply said the most important consideration by customers is that a PFD is big enough to fit comfortably. He said that there is definitely more awareness among Alaska fishermen that PFDs save lives.

Time for Tanners

Kodiak and Alaska Peninsula crabbers dropped pots on Friday at the start of the popular bairdi Tanner crab fishery. Bairdi are the larger cousins of opilio, or snow crab.

The catch quota has been bumped up, the crabs are looking good, and the fishery has attracted a lot more interest than in previous years, said Nick Sagalkin, regional manager at the state Department of Fish & Game in Kodiak.

More than 50 boats have registered for the Kodiak district, compared to 21 last season. For the peninsula fishery, 43 boats are on the water, compared to less than a dozen.

Sagalkin said low cod prices -- 14 to 24 cents a pound -- could be one factor fueling the interest in Tanners.

Kodiak crabbers can haul in 700,000 pounds of Tanner crab this season; the Alaska Peninsula quota is a half million pounds.

Laine Welch is a Kodiak-based fisheries journalist. Her Fish Radio programs can be heard on stations around the state. Her information column appears every other Sunday. This material is protected by copyright. For information on reprinting or placing on your Web site or newsletter, contact msfish@alaska.com.