Insights from the History of Fishing Safety: Preparing for Increased Fisheries and Shipping in the Canadian Arctic

Abstract

The opening Arctic means not only expanding shipping but also expanding fisheries. On an industry basis, fishing is one of the most hazardous industries in the world, even more hazardous than shipping. Both sectors are vulnerable to the effects of weather and require travelling significant distances into and through a range of environments and changing marine contexts, while workers complete complex tasks on moving platforms. Fishing relies on many of the same resources that other maritime industry sectors rely on to reduce and mitigate occupational health and safety (OHS) incidents, including public forecasting services, search and rescue (SAR), and the Coast Guard. This chapter provides an overview of selected fishing safety research highlighting (1) historical analogues relevant to expanding traffic in the Canadian Arctic and (2) insights from fishing on ways to reduce risk and mitigate OHS outcomes in this context. It draws on relevant fishing OHS literature to highlight lessons from history, illustrating ways that changes comparable to expanded fishing and shipping in the Arctic resulted in spikes in fatalities and injuries and identifying steps eventually taken to address these impacts. At least some of these fatalities and injuries may have been prevented with proper and careful hazard recognition and planning prior to, or early on, in the period of change. The chapter takes stock of some weather forecasting, governance, and SAR resource initiatives with the potential to reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities during the transition to increased traffic in the eastern Canadian Arctic.