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U.S. Coast Guard Announces New Law Requiring Boat Engine Cut-off Switches

As of April 1, 2021, operators of recreational vessels less than 26 feet long will be required to use an engine cut-off switch (ECOS) and associated ECOS link (ECOSL), according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The ECOS and ECOSL devices prevent runaway vessels and the threats they pose. The ECOSL attaches the vessel operator to… Read More

Commercial Diver Fatality Results from Geoduck Harvesting in Washington State

Commercial Diver, Anthony Gockerell, was tragically killed on the job near Port Angeles, Washington on March 3, 2021.  Gockerell was performing geoduck clam harvesting at the Dungeness West geoduck tract.  He signaled that his surface-supplied umbilical cord, which provides air to the diver, was unable to clear.  The crew believed that the diver had become… Read More

Allergic Reaction Prompts Medical Evacuation from Commercial Fishing Vessel Near Cold Bay

Around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, a 31-year-old crew-member aboard F/V AMERICAN TRIUMPH began experiencing a severe allergic reaction.  The vessel contacted Health Force, which recommended medical evacuation by the United States Coast Guard. Coast Guard Command launched a helicopter from Forward Operating Location Cold Bay, Alaska.  The rescue crew reached the vessel 101 miles northwest… Read More

Crewmember Suffers a Crush Injury Aboard F/V ALASKA OCEAN in Alaska

A 45-year-old man aboard factory trawler F/V ALASKA OCEAN suffered an arm crush injury on February 21, 2021, in Alaska.  HealthForce Partners contacted the Coast Guard command center in Juneau at approximately 7:00 p.m. to request a medical evacuation.  The trawler was located 30 miles northeast of Cold Bay when the incident occurred.  The Coast… Read More

Fishing Vessel Ablaze in Port of Tacoma

A significant fire erupted aboard F/V ALEUTIAN FALCON in the Port of Tacoma overnight and into the morning of February 18, 2021.  The vessel is said to be 356 feet in length and docked at Pier 12.  It is operated by Trident Seafoods. Firefighters continued to fight the blaze throughout the morning.  Officials voiced concern… Read More

Public Hearing Scheduled for Fatal F/V SCANDIES ROSE Sinking in Alaska

The United States Coast Guard will begin a formal public hearing on February 22, 2021, to consider evidence related to the sinking of F/V SCANDIES ROSE.  The 130-foot crab fishing vessel sank on Dec. 31, 2019, in Alaska.  Seven crew members aboard and five were never found. The hearing will consider conditions impacting the vessel… Read More

Covid-19 Outbreak at Alaska Trident Plant Grows to 135 Workers

Trident Seafoods’ continues to fight a worsening COVID-19 outbreak at its fish processing facility in Akutan, Alaska.  The plant, which processes pollock, cod, and crab provided by a fleet of fishing vessels, now has 135 positive coronavirus cases.  Evacuations by air and sea have been carried out for some employees.   As of Tuesday, January 26,… Read More

Three Commercial Fishermen Rescued from Sinking Crab Boat in Northern California

At 1820 hours on Sunday, January 24, crab boat F/V SUNUP issued a distress call to the United States Coast Guard.  According to the crew, the vessel developed propulsion issues, lost control, and allided with the south jetty entering Humboldt Bay, California. Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay deployed a motor lifeboat and a helicopter to… Read More

COVID-19 Outbreak at a Trident Plant in Alaska to Cause Three Week Closure

Several workers at a Trident Seafoods’ facility in Akutan, Alaska tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.  Those infected were evacuated for treatment in Anchorage.  The facility typically employs between 700 and 1,400 people and is a seafood processing hub for pollock, crab, and cod from the Bering Sea.  It operates as a closed campus… Read More

Appellate Court Affirms $11 Million Award to Harbor Pilot

Captain Jay Rivera was a state-commissioned Branch Pilot for the Port Aransas Bar and Corpus Christi Bay. Marine pilots are required by law in most major seaports of the world for large commercial ships.  The primary role of a marine pilot is to safely navigate large vessels through narrow coastal areas using their extensive local knowledge… Read More

  • The Maritime Law Association of The United States
    The Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLA) was founded in 1899. Its formation was prompted by the organization, some three years earlier, of the International Maritime Committee.
  • Washington State Bar Association
    The Washington State Bar Association operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's nearly 40,000 lawyers and other legal professionals.
  • Oregon State Bar
    The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession.
  • Alaska Bar Association
    The Alaska Bar Association is a mandatory bar association responsible to the Alaska Supreme Court for the admission and discipline process of attorneys for the State of Alaska.