Fish Factor: In the Northwest and Alaska, only 50 to 60 E-Stops are being used out of a fleet of about 1,500 boats

The most common piece of gear on a seine vessel is also one of the deadliest – the rotating capstan winch used for winding ropes. Anyone who has ever worked aboard a seiner has horror stories of close calls, or worse.

“The deck winch is the most powerful thing on the boat. It’s the scariest piece of machinery that we work with. My feeling when I was caught in it was that I was completely helpless. There was nothing I could do,” said fisherman Noah Doncette who participated in a video for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) called “The Most Powerful Thing.”

“The cor...

 

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