The U.S. Coast Guard has launched an investigation after a serious incident killed two maritime workers and injured several others this week. The incident occurred Thursday morning, June 28, 2018, at Terminal 5 in Longview, Washington. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received word from the captain of the…
Maritime Injury Law Blog
80 Tons of Salmon Seized from Chinese F/V Run Da
The fishing vessel Run Da was detained by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley on June 23rd after the vessel was suspected of illegal fishing activity in international waters 860 miles east of Hokkaido, Japan. A total of 80 tons of chum salmon and one ton of…
Washington State Pilotage Act Celebration
The 150-year anniversary of the Washington Pilotage Act was celebrated last week at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Washington. Elected officials Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, Kevin Van De Wege and Mayor Deborah Stinson were all in attendance. Mayor Stinson welcomed all pilots to the Northwest Maritime Center and praised…
F/V Myrna Lynn Crewmember Medevaced Near Grays Harbor
An injured fisherman was medevaced to Grays Harbor in Westport on Monday, June 18th after sustaining a severe hand injury while working aboard F/V Myrna Lynn. Watchstanders at Sector Columbia River received a call at 8:15a.m. that a 50-year-old fisherman had sustained a hand injury and was in immediate need…
Coast Guard Finds Wreckage of Missing Aircraft Near Sitka
Coast Guard personnel have located the wreckage of a missing PA-18 Super Cub float plane that was reported overdue. Two men departed at approximately 7:15 p.m. on Sunday, June 10th for what was to be a 20-minute flight over Katlian Bay and Olga Strait. When they did not return, a…
F/V Soulmate Crewmembers Rescued by U. S. Coast Guard
Four mariners required a U. S. Coast Guard rescue when their 48-foot F/V Soulmate became disabled, adrift, and unable to anchor. Watchstanders received the initial distress call from the vessel via VHF radio, but reception was so unreliable that the use of a satellite phone was required. “This case highlights…
F/V Nushagak Spirit Voyage Terminated for Multiple Safety Violations
Commercial fishing vessels must comply with safety regulations established by federal and maritime law. When violations are found during a boarding inspection, a vessel may be issued a violation and possibly a fine. When violations are particularly dangerous to the crew or the environment, they fall into a different category…
Fisherman Killed in Accident Aboard F/V Ocean Hunter
A 55-year-old fisherman has died after sustaining internal injuries aboard the F/V Ocean Hunter. The 95-foot trawler is owned by Tacoma based Alaska Weathervane Seafoods, LLC. The vessel had been fishing for cod in the Bering Sea at the time of the incident. According to The Alaska State Troopers’ dispatch,…
Seizures at Sea
The U.S. Coast Guard recently responded to a call from the 36-foot fishing vessel, Lacie Belle, that a crewmember was suffering from seizures. The call came in at 5:25 p.m. and by 5:54 p.m. an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Sector North Bend was on the scene, approximately 10 miles north…
FDA Approves New Animal Drug Application for GMO Salmon
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration approved a supplemental New Animal Drug Application (NADA) submitted by AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. While the original application was approved in 2015, this current application grants AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. the right to raise a GMO salmon species it has developed called AquAdvantage salmon at…