As the federal government shutdown extends into its third week, legislation unrelated to funding disputes, such as H.R. 3756, a bipartisan bill designed to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide, remains stalled. Introduced in June 2025, this bill has been referred to multiple House committees and has yet…
A 27-year-old commercial fisherman died on September 3rd, 2025, following a workplace accident aboard a fishing vessel operating in the Aleutian Islands. Alaska State Troopers identified the deceased fisherman as Baxter Cox. According to Alaska State Trooper spokesman Austin McDaniel, the fatal incident occurred at approximately 9:45 p.m. while Cox…
The 130-foot TB DOMINION sank in Bremerton Marina on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, prompting an environmental response that has continued all week as crews work to contain diesel fuel contamination and assess ecological effects. The Washington State Department of Ecology was notified of the sinking on Wednesday afternoon, and the…
Commercial fishing remains one of America’s most dangerous occupations, with fatality rates significantly higher than most other industries. The Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Act, enacted following tragic losses at sea, establishes minimum safety requirements that can mean the difference between life and death. Here is a comprehensive guide for…
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday afternoon for prominent West Coast fisherman Joel William Kawahara, recipient of the 2009 National Fishermen’s Highliner of the Year Award. Mr. Kawahara disappeared while fishing alone off the coasts of Oregon and Washington. The extensive search covered more than 2,100 square miles…
The U.S. Coast Guard has officially suspended its search efforts for the missing fisherman off the coast of Newport, Oregon. At 4 p.m. Sunday, August 10th, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified that the 40-foot F/V DAS BUG had capsized in Yaquina Bay Jetty with four people aboard. A…
On August 5, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation released its report on the Titan submersible loss. The sub imploded in June 2023 while on a dive to the Titanic, killing all five people on board. The Report of Investigation (ROI), which is over 300 pages long,…
On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a Canadian fisherman from his vessel approximately 180 miles off the coast of Astoria, Oregon. The rescue operation began shortly after 1 a.m. when the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Victoria, British Columbia, received an emergency call about a crew…
The U.S. Coast Guard is actively working to extinguish a persistent fire aboard the car carrier MORNING MIDAS, located approximately 220 miles south of Adak, Alaska. The first salvage vessel has now reached the scene, joining the ongoing efforts. The incident began on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025, when smoke was…
Alaska’s commercial fishing industry, a significant part of the state’s economy, involves working in challenging marine environments. The pursuit of seafood means confronting hazardous conditions, which leads to injuries and fatalities each year. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Understanding the safety measures in place and the legal…