The Newfoundland and Labrador Fish Harvesting Safety Association hosted its annual safety symposium last week in St. John’s.
The Association is highlighting lessons learned during the event.
One of the “chilling” lessons—fish harvesters are 13 times more likely to lose their lives at work than any other occupation.
The Fish Harvesting Safety Association says the pain of living without a loved one because they were lost at sea is a reality for many families in the industry.
At the Safety Symposium, harvesters said being prepared to respond to any incident when things go wrong is important in avoiding a tragedy.
They say a sail plan—including information about your vessel, how many people are on board, the location you went fishing and the time you plan to be home—should be given to a responsible person who can share the information with authorities.
Fishing vessels should be equipped with emergency distress signaling as required by Transport Canada Regulations.
Harvesters are also seeking timely, efficient access to search and rescue resources, not only in Newfoundland but also in Labrador.