Informing a Program to Increase Lifejacket Use with Pacific Northwest Fishermen.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Marine and Coastal Studies
• Injury Prevention

Background:

• US commercial fishing industry faces high fatality rates impacting coastal communities.
• The Northeast's Lifejackets for Lobstermen program inspired a Pacific Northwest adaptation: Fishermen Led Injury Prevention Program (FLIPP) for Lifejackets.
• Regional community input is crucial for adapting safety programs to distinct fisheries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To gather and apply commercial fishermen and community partner perspectives.
• To enhance vessel safety, specifically improving lifejacket (personal flotation device - PFD) usage.
• To guide the development of the FLIPP for Lifejackets program in the Pacific Northwest.

Main Methods:

• Structured interviews with 54 commercial fishing community partners.
• Surveys and lifejacket ranking by 98 fishermen.
• Brief surveys with 22 regional fish observers.
• Four distinct data collection approaches were employed in Washington and Oregon.

Main Results:

• Community partners confirmed diverse lifejacket needs based on fishery, fishermen, and season, with interest in material/design education.
• Fishermen's reported lifejacket use varied: 15% always, 16% most, 40% some, 25% none of the time.
• 75% of fishermen deemed lifejacket use important, 71% interested in new types; Mustang Inflatable Work Vest and Kent Rogue Work Vest were preferred.
• Fish observers noted less than 50% of vessels had a crew member wearing a lifejacket, but observed improving attitudes towards PFD use.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative efforts informed the FLIPP for Lifejackets Program design.
• The established communication channels fostered partnerships for ongoing safety initiatives.
• The employed methodologies can be replicated in other regions to enhance commercial fishing safety.