P a ge 17 t opside V olume 114, I s s u e 1
Division 7 Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiner( CFVSE) Program by Maurice Kiely
Commercial Fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. Each year many fishermen and women are lost. To mitigate the danger, the US Coast Guard, in conjunction with other federal agencies, enforce regulations relating to fishing vessel safety. Along the New Jersey Coast, we have a variety of fisheries harvested by crews on scallop, clam, gill net and long liner vessels, among others, operating in both warm water and cold water environments.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 changes the requirements for examinations from voluntary to mandatory for the majority of commercial fishing vessels. The Act increases the requirements for safe practices, safety equipment, and for drills and emergency equipment and procedures. While responsibility for commercial fishing vessel safety continues to rest with the boat owners and operators, the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary provide increased oversight of safety practices and regulatory compliance.
Nationally, the Auxiliary has 191 qualified CFVSE’ s, and 7 of the 18 in our District are from Division 7. They are;
Pat Ditomasso, 7-9, Dave Hellmuth, 7-9, Maurice Kiely, 7-9, Tom Piascik, 7-9, Joe Smith, 7-11, Wally Wubbenhorst, 7-2, Larry Yaskulka, 7-9. We report thru the ADSO for Marine Safety CVSE( Joe Smith 7-11) and DSO for Marine Safety Laurie Huselton 7-11). We all receive guidance and training from CG CFVSE coordinators from Sector Delaware Bay Bob Heffner and Erich Solbach.
These D7 examiners focus mainly on the fishing vessel fleets located in Barnegat Light and the vicinity, but also often participate in exams in Pt. Pleasant Beach, Atlantic City, Cape May, and Port Norris. Our mission is not enforcement as that is the job of the CG boarding teams, who in addition to safety regulations also are examining adherence to US Fisheries regulations and licensing. Our job is to examine the vessel while docked, and based on vessel and crew size, verify that approximately 100 safety requirements are met. In some cases, if the vessel owner waits too long, he may be faced with not being able to legally go fishing until he passes an examination. Normally, we schedule the vessel exams in advance so that any deficiencies we find can be corrected and re-examined within 30 days to not interfere with commerce of the vessel.
Examples of items inspected;
1. Sufficient number of cold water immersion suits in good condition, with proper emergency gear attached for detection from the air.
2. A life raft sufficient for the size of the crew, recently inspected and properly attached to the vessel to be float free and automatically inflated if the vessel sinks.
3. Proper navigation and fishing lights, day shapes, and sound producing devices.
4. An EPIRB currently registered with NOAA, tested on site, and positioned properly on the outside of the vessel to deploy manually or in a float free manner.
5. Proper navigation publications, charts, and communication equipment.
6. Engine room fire safety, guards for exposed hazards, high water and emergency alarms, bilge piping, dewatering equipment, cleanliness, and clutter free emergency exits.
7. Proper stability and oil transfer procedures Continued on the next page...