Anchorage Daily News

SEATTLE -- A new federal report says fishing off the West Coast has one of the highest death rates in commercial fishing -- even higher than in waters off Alaska.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health released a report Thursday detailing the hazards of fishing off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. The report said those three states combined for a fatality rate more than twice as high as the national commercial fishing average between the years of 2000 and 2006.

The report underscores the continuing hazards of commercial fishing, one of the most dangerous occupations in the country, but it dispels the notion that fishing in Alaska is the most dangerous.

In the past few years, the hard work and hazards of commercial crab fishing off Alaska have mesmerized viewers of "The Deadliest Catch," a Discovery Channel show that chronicles fishing boats working in the Bering Sea.

But the fatality rate from the three West Coast states, the report found, was also more than twice as high as the death rate from ocean fishing off Alaska. The Dungeness crab fleet was particularly deadly, said Jennifer Lincoln, the head researcher on the report.

Adjusting for the unusual work schedules of commercial fishermen, researchers found that death rates among fishermen in Alaska was 1.07 deaths per 10,000 full-time fishermen between 2000 and 2006. The three Pacific Coast states combined for a rate of 2.38 deaths per 10,000 full-time fishermen in that period. The nationwide commercial fishery rate in the period was 1.15 deaths. For all jobs nationwide, the rate was 0.04 deaths per 10,000 workers.

Lincoln said the fishing industry and government offices can learn from the initiatives taken in Alaska that have helped reduce deaths, such as preseason safety inspections and emergency training. Also helping reduce deaths has been an emphasis on having emergency gear, such as life rafts, on the boats.

Thirty-three people died in commercial fishing in Alaska in 1990. By 2007, preliminary numbers show 11 deaths.

Lincoln said that between 2000 and 2006, 58 deaths were reported for the three West Coast states. Most happened when ships sank or capsized. Falls overboard were the second-leading cause. Other factors leading to deaths included drug and alcohol abuse.

Lincoln also pointed out that boats working off the West Coast usually are smaller than those in the Bering Sea.

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