MARINE SAFETY

This sub-module aims to understand and solve some of the current problems in the industry known to be or potentially jeopardizing safety and industry viability in the future.

This research sub-module is carrying out research designed to help understand and solve some of the current problems in the fishing industry. These issues are known to be or potentially jeopardizing safety and industry viability in the future including ocean and fishery change and weather forecasting, noise exposures, dynamic stability (i.e. operator decisions that might impact vessel stability) and emergency response. The longer-term objective of this research is to help ensure marine safety issues are addressed in transition-related fisheries access, training, fleet design and governance for sustainable future fisheries.

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Sub-module I-4 conducts research organized in four components. I-4a work will allow mutual learning about weather forecasting and fishing safety across two major North Atlantic countries with different governance histories; I-4b ongoing work on noise-induced hearing loss in small-scale vessels and on larger vessels will help to ensure attention to this debilitating occupational disease is incorporated into larger governance frameworks designed to respond to transitions, and help to bring the fleet into line with current regulations. This will help reduce the risk of illness, stop work orders and costly compensation premiums and vessel renovations – key potential threats to industry viability.

Fish harvesters fishing-related decisions can have serious consequences for vessel stability so incorporating and extending I-4c work on those decisions, their role in capsizes, and training and other solutions that could mitigate this source of risk, will help to ensure this key dimension of fishing safety and training is included in the design of fisheries governance moving forward. I-4d's work will help to close the gap between the time an emergency occurs at sea and the arrival of first responders on the scene. Understanding more about capsizing and the relationship between weather and weather forecasting and fishing safety in a changing fishery will feed into emergency response by providing a clearer picture of what may be happening onboard a vessel in distress and the amount of time available for fish harvesters to perform critical life-saving tasks.

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