After hearing from a representative from the Coast Guard who listed new requirements for commercial fishing industry vessels, the fishermen were agitated and staged protest. A meeting was held in Charleston Tuesday night to give fishermen a heads up. The new rules are part of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 and establish a uniform safety standard for vessels operating more than three nautical miles from shore.
According to source the new standards set by Coast Guard signify costly upgrades and training courses for fishermen. One of the standards requires vessels to undergo a dockside safety examination every two years, and if the ship doesn’t pass the exam, it will not be allowed to go out to sea.
In order to operate, ship captains will need to keep a certificate of compliance on board and pass a training program. The Coast Guard says that as of now, exams are free. Fishermen are also worried about a new rule which requires the “classing of vessels”. Old ships must be inspected for material condition, meaning they’ll have to be designed, built and maintained to certain standards and have the appropriate certificates on board, which could have far-reaching costs.
