Coast Guard Urges Harvesters to Stay Safe During Upcoming Dungeness Crab Season
Coast Guard officials in Portland, Ore. are reminding commercial harvests of the importance of taking safety precautions while engaged in the upcoming commercial Dungeness crab season.
An advisory, issued on Dec. 13 by Coast Guard Sector Columbia River commander Capt. Justin Noggle, was issued out of concern over past incidents of a spike of search and rescue cases involving commercial fishing vessels.
The Coast Guard said most major marine casualties involving loss of life or loss of a vessel occur during the Dungeness crab season for a number of reasons, including unavailability of lifesaving equipment, poor weather conditions and fatigue.
Noggle said that while Coast Guard crews stand ready to respond along the Pacific Northwest coast, all mariners are urged to be prepared and take...