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Golden, Young Bill to Improve Safety Training for Maine Fishermen Passes House

December 18, 2019

Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the nation, leading to 224 fatalities, countless injuries on the job in the last two decades

VIDEO: Golden cites story of Maine fisherman injured on the job, calls for passage of FISH SAFE Act

WASHINGTON — To better train fishermen to protect themselves from injuries and fatalities on the job, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Congressman Don Young (AK-At Large) passed the Funding Introduction for Safety, Health, and Security Avoids Fishing Emergencies(FISH SAFE) Act through the House yesterday. The bipartisan legislation restores important federal funding that supports the work of local organizations to offer safety training to commercial fishermen and perform safety research.

"Whether they work in a mill, a lobster boat, or somewhere in between, I'm focused on keeping Maine workers safe on the job so they can continue to provide for their families," said Congressman Golden. "Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in our country, but Maine is lucky to have local organizations training our fishermen and lobstermen to minimize risks and protect themselves. The FISH SAFE Act restores funding to support this kind of training, as well as research new fishing safety practices. I'm proud to partner with Republican Don Young of Alaska to pass this commonsense bill through the House and I'll continue to work with our senators to make sure it advances in the Senate."

In 2018, the federal share of fishing safety training and research grants was reduced to 50 percent from 75 percent, leaving local organizations with higher costs to run these important safety programs. Golden and Young's bipartisan bill would raise the federal share for the grants back up to 75 percent. The FISH SAFE Act would also reauthorize the safety training and research programs for $6,000,000 a year for 2019-2021.

Organizations in Maine benefitting from the safety training and research grants include: IAMAW Maine Lobstering Union Local 207, Maine Coast Fisheries Association, Maine Lobstermen's Association, Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, and Fishing Partnership Support Services.

A commercial fisherman is 23 times more likely to die on the job than other workers. From 2000 to 2016, an estimated 204 fishermen have died, and that number has risen to at least 224 in the past three years.

You can read Congressman Golden's previous release about the FISH SAFE Act's introduction here.