District Board Meeting
The next District Board Meeting and elections will be held on 11SEP10 at 0900 hours at Fort Wadsworth.
Marine Safety Department
Vessel Activities Branch
Vinny Porsella, Assistant District Staff Officer - Marine Safety - Commercial Fishing Vessel program
E-Mail: CFV1SR@aol.com
Welcome to the First Southern Region Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety and Operation Safe Catch program. The Commercial Fishing Industry is the most hazardous occupation resulting in the highest fatalities on the water. In support of Coast Guard efforts to improve Commercial Fishing Vessel (CFVS) Safety, the Auxiliary is offering specialized training within the CFV program educating members in becoming qualified CFV examiners (CFVE). Those qualified as CFV examiners will conduct CFV exams dockside, by inspecting both the vessel, and safety equipment carried on board. CFVE's provide local knowledge, and familiarization within the fishing areas and harbors. Just like the Auxiliary's VSC program dedicated to recreational boats, participation is voluntary and there is no penalty if a vessel fails the exam. CFVE's are seen as coaches, and educators not as law enforcement officers. Our primary objective is to ensure that the vessel we examine returns to their homeport safely.
A companion to the CFV safety check program is the "Dockwalker" program. Initially a pilot effort developed by us in the First Southern Region, this program provides members who may not have the time or interest to train for the specialized work of vessel inspectors the opportunity to act as dockside public affairs officers via the VSC/MDV programs. Dockwalkers provide critical information materials to fishing vessel crews. They are frequently the first point of contact with the fishermen and are able to encourage the voluntary dockside exam.
If you think you would like to be apart of the marine safety and environmental team, please contact Vinny Porsella at hte e-mail listed above.
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| While visiting USCG Station Gloucester, Denise Castrogiovanni, DSO-MS (Past) takes time out to visit the vessel Lady Grace. The Lady Grace was the actual vessel used in the movie The Perfect Storm�� as the vessel Andrea Gail. | The deck of the Lady Grace as shown in the movie The Perfect Storm. |
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Links
- Operations & Marine Safety Directorate
- National M-Department
- Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Program
- First Southern Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiner Program Application
Welcome to the Operation Safe Catch portion of the 1SR MS-EAP website. One of the many hats as the ADSO-MS-VA has been to effectively communicate within, and outside our District with shared information about areas that have had little knowledge, or limited distribution of information in the past.�� I would like to share a very interesting article sent to me by Richard C. Hiscock, of Cape Cod. The article describes how historic over fishing has led to modern ocean problems. The article details some of the problems facing coastal ecosystems in today�s environment. The original author is Cat Lazaroff. Through the courtesy of the United States Coast Guard, and Greenpeace, the article contains several meaningful images. I hope you enjoy the article and continue to visit the 1SR MS-EAP website.
Article: Historic Overfishing Led to Modern Ocean Problems
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| Gloucester, MA Commercial fishing port. | |
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| Gloucester First Mate repairing nets from last fishing trip. | Gloucester Commercial Fishing Boat after a return from sea. |
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| Lady Grace was the vessel used in the Movie The Perfect Storm. | View across the fishing port of a Long Liner CFV, docked in Gloucester, MA |
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| Lady Grace as she is docked in Gloucester, MA. | |