Safety Training and Injury Prevention for the Next Generation of New England Fishermen

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Safety Training and Injury Prevention for the Next Generation of New England Fishermen Project Summary The State of Maine’s economy depends on fisheries and maritime industries and the lobster industry is arguably the most valuable east coast fishery, and the second most valuable fishery in the nation in 2019 at 132 million pounds in landings with an ex-vessel value of $540 million[1]. The fishery is a remarkable example of co-management but yet over the past three decades the fleet has observed a notable graying of the fleet. In response to this, MCCF invested in the next generation of fisheries stewards through the Eastern Maine Skippers Program (EMSP), which continues to evolve in response to new demands. EMSP is delivered through an educational collaborative with local schools and teachers, which enables us to reach as many as 80 and 110 students per year, and in the most needing and impoverished counties in Maine with 18% poverty rates, and 12% unemployment rates (Hancock, Washington, Knox counties). This area encompasses commercial lobster fishing zones A, B & C, which together represent 72% of the 6,500 active lobster licenses held in Maine and generate upwards of 80% of household income in these rural underserved communities[1]. Educating these students about sustainable fishing industries is not only beneficial for Maine’s economy, but vital to New England. The need for innovative and frequent safety training and occupational wellness education is also evident considering two recent entanglement fatalities (Stonington, ME and Jonesport, ME) and 18 emergency responses from Search and Rescue by U.S. Coast Guard east of Rockland in Maine over the past two years. The state of Maine has also been proactive in addressing maritime safety legislation, including being the first state to require new boater certification. In response, MCCF proposes to deliver effective safety training, addressing the immediate needs of Maine’s primary fisheries over a three-year period, promoting maritime safety relevant behavior in coastal community fisheries in Maine through the following core activities: 1.) Deliver safety and survival training for annual cohorts of students from eight high schools, including recent post-graduates for a total of 250 students over 3-years; 2.) Build capacity in the project area by training 2 additional qualified drill conductor instructors in eastern Maine; and 3.) Deploy training materials created in previous grant period pertaining to repetitive biomechanical overload and occupational hazards including deck safety, vibration, noise, and UV radiation. We anticipate that the outcomes of our proposed training projects will show changes in the safety-relevant behavior through a cultural shift in safety minds behavior in Maine’s commercial fisheries, and reduce risk of injury through cultural shift in attitude and awareness of safety.