by Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) — Congress may overhaul safety regulations for the fishing industry.
The Seattle Times reported Sunday that the House may vote this summer to impose new construction standards for vessels, require training for skippers and mandate Coast Guard inspections.
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, who chairs a subcommittee that oversees the Coast Guard, says she agrees in principle with the House bill.
The Pacific Northwest and Alaska have some of the most treacherous fisheries. Lives were lost last year in the Bering Sea sinkings of the Seattle-based Alaska Ranger and Katmai fishing boats.
The House bill’s focus on boats as small as 50 feet long reflects Coast Guard risk analysis. Statistics compiled during a 15-year period that ended in 2007 found that vessels between 50 and 79 feet long had the highest loss rates in the entire fishing fleet.
