The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has identified several actions that the Coast Guard needs to take to help prevent fishing vessel losses and related fatalities.
According to GAO, USCG hasn’t fully implemented 17 of 22 statutory requirements to improve commercial fishing vessel safety.
For example, Coast Guard hasn’t developed a training program for commercial fishers or re-established an advisory committee on industry safety issues. In addition, Coast Guard doesn’t have a detailed plan to guide their efforts to fully implement the outstanding statutory requirements
One requirement that the USCG does not intend to implement is to develop alternate safety standards for older fishing vessels, which account for almost 80% of fishing vessel losses.
USCG stated it does not have the authority to address the requirement to develop alternate safety standards for older fishing vessels. However, based on GAO’s review of the applicable statutory provisions, USCG does have the authority to implement this requirement.
Furthermore, in June 2016, USCG issued a proposed rule intended to address nine of the other 16 outstanding requirements. However, as of August 2022, the rule had not been finalized, and USCG had no detailed plan for implementing these requirements.
Developing and implementing alternate safety standards for older vessels and developing a plan with time frames for implementing the other 16 requirements would help to address the Coast Guard’s statutory responsibilities and support efforts to prevent fishing vessel losses and related fatalities
USCG has also established strategic goals and performance goals for its commercial fishing vessel safety program. However, it has not fully incorporated other key performance management practices, such as establishing performance goals that fully address all aspects of its strategic goals, setting realistic targets for its performance goals, and using performance data to assess progress towards program goals.
To address these issues, GAO is making six recommendations to USCG:
- The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Fishing Vessel Safety Division, in coordination with the Office of Maritime Law Enforcement, clarifies and documents the agency’s policy on the enforcement of the dockside exam requirement during at-sea boardings of commercial fishing vessels.
- The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy develops and implements an alternate safety compliance program, as required by law.
- The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy develops a plan with time frames and interim milestones to fully implement the other 16 outstanding statutory requirements for commercial fishing vessel safety, including issuing regulations.
- The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Fishing Vessel Safety Division establishes performance goals for the commercial fishing vessel safety program that fully address all aspects of the program’s strategic goals.
- The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Fishing Vessel Safety Division sets realistic targets for the commercial fishing vessel safety program’s performance goals.
- The Commandant of the Coast Guard should ensure that the Fishing Vessel Safety Division uses performance data to assess progress towards the commercial fishing vessel safety program’s goals on a regular basis.
