KODIAK -- New safety regulations for fishing vessels are on the horizon, and fishermen need to 1) pay attention, and 2) participate in developing the rules.
Congress decreed the new measures as part of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2010, which was signed into law in October. Most of the regulations are still being drafted, and it could be several years before they are final. However, one already caught Alaska cod fishermen and the state by surprise this month: a shift in some areas of the traditional three-mile boundary that separates state and federal waters.
"It changed the standard from the present boundary line to three nautical miles of the baseline from where the territorial sea is measured, which is that new gray line on the charts. That is spelled out very specifically in the act," said Ken Lawrenson, Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinator with the Coast Guard in Juneau.
Within the sections that relate to fishing-vessel safety, Lawrenson said, some items are more discretionary, where wording and intent is general and nonspecific to let the industry and Coast Guard develop the regulations. But some regulations are very "black and white" and happening fast.
One is the every-other-year requirements for mandatory dockside exams and certificates of compliance for every vessel operating beyond three nautical miles.
"We've been given a target date of October 2012," Lawrenson said, adding that fishermen should "get a jump on it and get exams done as soon as they can."
Another "hard-and-fast" date written into the law is 2015, when the Coast Guard will eliminate approval for any survival craft that does not remove every portion of a survivor's body from the water.
"That means life floats and buoyant apparatus are no longer going to be acceptable as a survival craft. For smaller vessels, that has been the requirement since the early 1990s," Lawrenson said. "It's something you'll need to think about and start budgeting for -- replacing an older device with an inflatable."
Here is a new rule that the industry has been dreading: Any fishing vessel built after July 1, 2012, that is more than 50 feet and fishes beyond three nautical miles must be built to strict new structural and stability standards, and classed by a shipping bureau.
"Classed" means a rigorous review of a vessel's building materials, power, propulsion, dewatering systems, navigation equipment, arrangement of deck machinery, for example.
Previously, the only vessels in the fishing industry required to be classed were at-sea processors. Congress removed that distinction, Lawrenson said, and made it apply to all commercial fishing vessels.
If a new vessel is longer than 79 feet, it also will have to maintain a load line from a class society as well, Lawrenson said. He added that naval architects estimate building to class will add 20 percent to 25 percent to the purchase price of a new vessel.
How do the new safety rules apply to older boats?
The act requires that by 2020 the Coast Guard must develop an "alternative safety compliance program" for vessels longer than 50 feet, built before July 1, 2012, and 25 years of age or older. It will be developed in cooperation with the industry and for specific regions and fisheries, Lawrenson said.
Get updates and learn how to participate in the process of developing the new safety regulations at www.fishsafe.info. Contact Ken Lawrenson in Juneau at 907-463-2810.
FISHERMEN CHOOSE RESPECT
Alaska fishermen are leading a charge to get their home communities behind Gov. Sean Parnell's Choose Respect campaign, which aims to end domestic violence. Alaska, unfortunately, is a national leader in rates of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
United Fishermen of Alaska board members voted unanimously this month to support the campaign by rallying awareness across the state. UFA is the nation's largest commercial fishing trade group, representing 38 fishing organizations across Alaska.
Choose Respect marches and rallies are planned for March 31 in more than 40 Alaska communities so far. UFA members are getting local governments, chambers, businesses and civic organizations involved, said board member Linda Kozak of Kodiak.
Commercial fishing brings home the added stresses of uncertain catches and paychecks, and long absences far out at sea.
"We feel the fishing communities are kind of a barometer for the state in how some of these things can occur," Kozak said. "We should be leaders in raising awareness about this problem and helping find solutions."
STILL TOPS FOR JOBS
An updated study from 2009 shows that Alaska's seafood industry still leads all others when it comes to putting people to work.
The Seafood Industry in Alaska's Economy report by Anchorage's Northern Economics Inc. shows that the industry employs more than 70,500 people each year -- more than oil and gas, tourism, timber and mining combined.
The seafood industry ranks third for generating basic economic activity in Alaska ($4.6 billion in 2009), behind the oil and gas industry and the federal government. Seafood is a distant second to Big Oil in revenue it pumps into state coffers.
Find the Seafood Industry in Alaska's Economy report at www.marineconservation alliance.org.
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 website or newsletter, contact msfish@alaska.com.
LAINE WELCH
FISHERIES