The United States Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the fee imposed on ferry passengers was unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause and the Tonnage Clause. This case questions the constitutionality of a fee imposed on passengers traveling via private ferry from Bridgeport, Connecticut to Port Jefferson, New York.…
A recent decision by the United States Supreme Court overruled the Alaska Supreme Court, ruling that the City of Valdez, Alaska improperly imposed a personal property tax upon the value of large vessels traveling to and from the city. Justice Breyer, writing for the majority, asserted that this tax violated…
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently passed new regulations requiring operators to provide a USCG-approved pilot ladder on domestic fishing vessels with a freeboard of greater than four feet. This pilot ladder will be a safe and enforceable means for authorized personnel to board larger fishing vessels. This is…
A 2006 report regarding commercial fishing fatalities has pinpointed Pacific Coast fisheries as one of the most dangerous places to work in the country. This report, written by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), reveals an average annual fatality rate of 115 deaths per 100,000 fishermen, more than 28 times…
A judgment for 4.1 million dollars has been entered in favor of the Estate of a Tacoma Longshoreman by United States District Court Judge Robert Bryan. The judgment arises from a 40-foot shipping container accident in November of 2006 at the Port of Tacoma. The longshoreman’s estate alleged that a…
Some injured seamen who rely upon maintenance payments for economic support while recovering from injuries, have been dealt a blow by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. In Aguilera v. Fishing Company of Alaska 535 F. 3d 1007 (August 2008) the Court held that a Texas State lien for back…
The Coast Guard is concerned over possible fuel leakage from the grounded fishing vessel, MAR GUN. The vessel went aground early yesterday morning on St. George Island. The five-member crew of the MAR GUN was rescued from the vessel by a United States Coast Guard helicopter. However, the grounded vessel…
The fishing vessel MAR-GUN issued a mayday call early this morning, reporting they were aground half a mile from St. George Island, Alaska. The five-member crew aboard the 112-foot Seattle based stern trawler were hoisted to safety by a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. Weather at the scene was reported…
Four crewmen from the ICY MIST have been rescued from their sinking vessel by the United States Coast Guard. The ICY MIST reportedly began taking on water early Wednesday morning, and issued a Mayday call that was relayed to the Coast Guard by other nearby fishing vessels. The ICY MIST…
The United States Coast Guard reports that they have received a Mayday call for the 58-foot commercial fishing vessel, ICY MIST. The fishing vessels Arctic Fox and Norther Glacier relayed the early morning Mayday call to the Coast Guard, reporting that the ICY MIST was taking on water. The vessel…