The latest tragedy on the seas crosses a line according to a fisheries safety advocate, who says such incidents have now become a trend.

A man in his early 40’s lost his life yesterday off Westport on the Baie Verte Peninsula not far from the wharf where his catch of squid would have been offloaded.

It was only a month ago that two fishermen drowned in the region when their fishing boat overturned near Harbour Round. One member of the crew made it safely to shore.

Merv Wiseman, the chair of the Food Fishery Committee, has asked the authorities to launch a formal investigation into the Harbour Round sinking. He says many people on shore saw the tragedy as it unfolded, but were powerless to intervene in time.

He says the victim was not wearing a lifejacket but it goes beyond that.

“It has to do with buoyancy and what happens with stability because with squid, if there’s movement all the weight goes into one area,” Wiseman told VOCM Open Line with Brian Callahan.

He says it now goes beyond an investigation. He wants to see a full-blown inquiry into why there have been so many fishing-related tragedies.

“We have to learn from these incidents because they’re happening to all kinds of people and we have to find out why.”