Fishing Still Deadliest Profession

Jay Barrett/KMXT
Crabbing in the Bering Sea may not be the deadliest catch any more, but commercial fishing is still the most dangerous profession in America. According to a study published in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly newsletter, commercial fishing has a fatality rate 35 times higher than the rate for all U.S. workers.
In 2009, 504 fishermen nationwide were killed on the job.
The report says 51 percent of the deaths are a result of drowning caused by vessel sinking. The southern shrimp fleet, which operates in the Gulf of Mexico and on the Atlantic Coast as far north as North Carolina, was the most dangerous fishery in 2011. Drowning from falls overboard accounted for 30 percent of the deaths, while 10 percent were caused on-deck, such as being entangled in winch gear.
The study says fatal accidents were most associated with being alone on deck or alone on the vessel.
Here’s a link to the report.