Alaska Ranger Research Paper

The fishing industry can be a very exciting and enticing world to work in such as fulfilling work, free travel, and the sense of freedom the ocean exudes. Many are drawn to the trade, but it is a dangerous job. A report from the National Transportation Safety Board found, that the commercial fishing had the highest fatality rate in the country with 111.8 deaths for every 100,000 workers. (NTSB). There are various reasons why it’s so dangerous and on March 23, 2008 the crew of the fishing vessel Alaska Ranger encountered the dangers of life at sea, when their ship sunk in the cold icy waters of Alaska. Several factors caused the vessel to perish, but the main reason was that the structural integrity had been compromised. To fully comprehend what happened to the Alaska Ranger I will discuss the vessel’s specifications, order of events, structural damage that the ship suffered, and possible regulations to prevent future accidents like this. With this information you can better understand why the vessel’s structure failed. The Alaska Ranger was a commercial fishing vessel that operated in Alaskan waters mainly fishing for Yellowfin Sole and Mackerel. According to the NTSB report, the Alaska Ranger was 35 year …show more content…
Currently fishing vessels in the H&G fleet are not required to have watertight compartments. Additionally commercial fishing vessels do not have to be inspected by the Coast Guard by law, and only have to prove that they meet lifesaving and fire equipment guidelines. If Congress and the Coast Guard had made legislature that required inspections and structural regulations such as having water tight doors many of the casualties in the commercial fishing could be prevented. If tighter regulations were in place countless casualties would be prevented making the most dangerous profession in the United States a safer