Standard Instructor's Guide for
the Training of Dockside Fishing
Vessel Examiners and
Boarding Officers
Objectives: By use of this instructors guide, an individual
shall be able to:
1.
Identify all U. S. Regulations that apply to uninspected
U. S. commercial fishing vessels.
2.
Understand the goals of the Fishing Vessel Safety
Program.
3.
Conduct a dockside examination or a commercial fishing
vessel boarding.
General Information: This instructors guide addresses all
Federal requirements which apply to U.S. uninspected vessels engaged in
activities which are pursuant to the harvesting or processing of fish
for commercial purposes. This guide is to be used in the training of
commercial fishing vessel dockside examiners and boarding officers.
Dockside Examination Program: The purpose of a voluntary
dockside examination is to verify compliance with all Coast Guard
regulations in a non-adversarial manner. The program consists of an
informal Coast Guard visit to a fishing vessel to check for compliance
with the regulations. If so, a special decal is given to the vessel
operator to display in the pilothouse window. If the vessel does not
comply with the regulations, the deficiencies will be pointed out and
explained to the operator, but no violations will be issued. When
the deficiencies are corrected, the fisherman may request the
dockside examiner to return and reexamine the vessel.
Fishermen: Commercial fishermen come from a wide variety of
backgrounds. Commercial fishing can be done alone in a 14 foot
rowboat working an inland river or by the 100 man crew on a 400 foot
fish processor working hundreds of miles offshore. The commercial
fishing industry is highly regulated, from state and local
governments to federal agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries
Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. The economics of the industry
force fishermen to work when the seasons are open, regardless of
safety hazards imposed by weather conditions or other environmental
factors. This information is presented to the safety examiners and
boarding officers to help in their understanding of the many factors
impacting commercial fishermen.
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