Home

ICICLE SEAFOODS ORDERED TO PAY INJURED SEAMAN ATTORNEY FEES FOR MAINTENANCE AND CURE TRIAL
Posted by: James Beard
January 29, 2010
Topic: Legal Cases and Concerns

Icicle Seafoods has been ordered to pay an injured seaman $ 387,558 in an attorney fee award plus $40,500 in case expenses arising out of a November 16, 2009 jury trial in King County. Dana Clausen, a crewman working for Icicle Seafoods, was previously awarded 1.3 million dollars in punitive damages for Icicle's willful and wanton failure to pay maintenance and cure benefits.

Continue Reading

FOUR CREWMEN RESCUED FROM MISSING TUGBOAT
Posted by: euser
January 28, 2010
Topic: Vessel Sinkings

A life raft with four surviving crewmen from the missing tugboat BETTY has been located 53 miles north of Jamaica. One crewman remains missing. The Coast Guard began searching for the U.S. flagged BETTY after receiving an EPIRB signal indicating the tug was in possible trouble. The surviving crewmen were taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Coast Guard called off the air search for the remaining crewman on Tuesday. The cause of the tugboat sinking is not known at this time and will be subject of further investigation by the Coast Guard.

Continue Reading

ALASKA FACTORY TRAWLER FLEET BEGINS 2010 FISHING SEASON
Posted by: euser
January 25, 2010
Topic: Interesting Information

The fishing season opened today for the Bering Sea Factory Trawler fleet targeting Pollock. The total allowable catch this year is 813,000 metric tons. The Bering Sea Pacific Cod season also opened today with a similar quota of 168,000 metric tons.

Continue Reading

EXXON OIL TANKER LOSES POWER IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
Posted by: James Beard
January 20, 2010
Topic: Marine Safety

An 832-foot Exxon Oil tanker carrying 25 million gallons of crude oil briefly lost power as it was exiting Price William Sound on Sunday. Two tugs that were escorting the tanker, along with the tanker's automated steering system, were able to keep the tanker on course. The tanker was reportedly without power for approximately 30 minutes. The vessel was able to make safe harbor where it was inspected by the Coast Guard and cleared for sailing. The vessel's next port was scheduled to be San Francisco. The tanker has several layers of backup systems, which include three backup power systems, that allowed it to continue on its voyage. The incident adds evidence to pending legislation for increased safety regulations for oil tankers in Prince William Sound.

Permalink

MARATHON OIL DECKHAND DIES AFTER FALL OVERBOARD
Posted by: James Beard
January 20, 2010
Topic: Marine Safety

Deckhand Gary Adams of Waterloo, Ohio has died after falling overboard off the Marathon Oil towing vessel, TRI-STATE. The vessel was reportedly involved in early morning docking operations at the Marathon Petroleum dock near Kenova, West Virginia when the accident occurred. Adams was reportedly untying a mooring line when the TRI STATE was put into gear, causing Adams to lose his balance, fall into the water, and go under the barge. The United States Coast Guard is investigating the accident.

Permalink

ALASKA FISHING VESSEL ORDERED TO RETURN TO PORT FOR SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Posted by: James Beard
January 20, 2010
Topic: Marine Safety

The Coast Guard ordered the 77-foot fishing vessel, Topaz, to return to port for safety violations. The order came as a result of an at-sea boarding and safety inspection by the Coast Guard. Violations included failure to have survival suits on board. Survival suits are critical to crew and survival in cases of emergency. The Topaz was conducting a test trawl in a designated area at the time of the boarding. The vessel was escorted back to Kodiak Island where the Topaz's survival suits were waiting at the dock. The vessel was able to return to its fishing operations the following day. Four other vessels were boarded by the Coast Guard in the Kodiak area the following day and found to be in compliance with safety regulations.

Permalink

Washington Allows Jury Trial Demand By Employers in State Court Jones Act Cases
Posted by: James M. Beard
January 07, 2010
Topic: Legal Cases and Concerns

In Jones Act injury cases, the Washington State Supreme Court has ruled that an employer has the right to demand a trial by jury. Previous to the decision in Endicott v. Icicle Seafoods, most Washington State Superior Court Judges ruled that only the injured seaman had the right to demand or not demand a jury trial in State Court.

Continue Reading

TWO FISHERMEN MISSING FROM 38-FOOT FISHING BOAT - ONE MAN RESCUED
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
December 28, 2009
Topic: Missing Crewmembers / Persons

The Christmas eve sinking of the 38-foot Alisha Marie has caused the death of two New Jersey fishermen. One crewman, Robert Cooper, of Point Pleasant, was able to get into the vessel's life raft and was rescued by the United States Coast Guard. The Coast Guard responded to an emergency distress signal from the vessel, received around 7:45 P.M. on Wednesday.

Continue Reading

CROWLEY TUG RUNS AGROUND IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
December 28, 2009
Topic: Vessel Crashes & Collisions

The 136-foot tug boat, Pathfinder, owned by Crowley Marine Services, has run aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound. The vessel was able to remove itself from the reef and move to nearby sheltered waters, however, divers inspecting the vessel reported that a 4-5 foot section of keel was missing, and three fuel tanks were breached. Two of the three fuel tanks carried diesel fuel, and the third tank was empty.

Continue Reading

ALASKA FISHERIES OBSERVER FINED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
December 23, 2009
Topic: Interesting Information

A NOAA fishing observer working in Alaska has been banned from working as a observer anywhere in the country for ten years.   The observer was fined $10,000 with $9,000 suspended as a result of sexually harassing another observer. The incident occurred over several days while the observers were housed in a Kodiak bunkhouse.  The violations were reported and investigated by NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. NOAA observers monitor catch and by-catch aboard many commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea.

Continue Reading