Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant

MIT Sea Grant is working with fishing community representatives to develop the Fishermen Rescue Project, a community based program geared towards developing a best management guide for responding to fishing emergencies and managing media relations.  
Funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service, this project provided for the coordination of a series of free, hands-on safety trainings in several ports throughout Massachusetts. MIT researchers and the Fishermen Rescue Project developed a long-term program that will provide on-going opportunities for participation in safety training for fishermen. Training workshops include safety, raft deployment, flare and EPIRB use, survival suit donning and movement in water, fire and damage control, rescue procedures, and first aid. Potentials for lowering the costs of safety equipment and/or insurance in part through active participation in safety training are being explored.
The Fishermen Rescue Project will become more valuable as storm intensity associated with climate change continues to increase.
A PDF is available at: “Staying Alive: Promoting a Culture of Safety at Sea in New England’s Fishing Industry.”