Commercial Fishing Vessel Stability and Primary Prevention Policy

Project Team

• Principal Investigator: Scott Fulmer, Research Professor, Doctor of Science (Sc.D.)
• Project Consultant: Mike Flynn, Esquire
• Project Manager: Shanna Rose Thompson, Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Goals and Objectives

This project aims to review Coast Guard vessel loss investigation reports and to collect key informant interview data to objectively assess the desired policy for primary prevention of vessel instability as a cause of persistent vessel casualties and disasters. The assessment will document identifiable barriers to a regular, routine stability assessment of fishing vessels, regardless of age, and produce a strategy for its implementation. This work will be shared with stakeholders of health and safety enforcement and the commercial fishing industry.

Presentations

• Flynn, M. (2024, January 11). If Lack of Vessel Stability Causes the Loss of Commercial Fishing Vessels, Why Does it Remain Unregulated?
  International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference (IFISH), Rome, Italy.

Coast Guard Reports Related to Stability

• A Best Practices Guide to Vessel Stability: Guiding Fishermen Safely Into the Future (pdf)
• Understanding the Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection: What It Means for Captains and Vessels