In January, pink shrimp season arrived in the Gulf of Mexico. And the next six months represent the peak season for this sweet and tender seafood delectable – considered the largest Gulf shrimp species.
More than 75% of the country’s pink shrimp harvest comes from Florida’s west coast with the vast majority caught by shrimpers – the professional fisherman who face job-related dangers that most workers find difficult to comprehend.
Dangerous job
Professional fishermen have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in the fishing and hunting industry had the second-highest on-the-job death rate in 2021 with 75.2 deaths per 100,000 workers. Only workers in the logging industry had higher fatal work injury rates.
The most fatalities among all Gulf fishing fleets
The Gulf shrimp fleet has had its share of fatalities as well, accounting for more than half of the 49 deaths recorded among all fishing fleets in that body of water between 2010 and 2014, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
During that period, the shrimp fleet recorded 25 deaths. The causes included vessel disasters (nine), onboard fatalities (eight), falls overboard (six) and diving fatalities (two).
The threat of winches
Winch entanglements pose another danger to workers in the shrimping industry. A winch, which consists of a cable or rope powered by a motor, winds in and lets out fishing nets. NIOSH found that deck winches on shrimp boats in the Gulf of Mexico caused 35 severe work injuries – including eight deaths – between 2000 and 2011.
As a result of these findings, NIOSH has conducted tests on newer and safer winch guard systems that may minimize injuries such as fractures and those that lead to amputation of the hands and arms.
Inadequate training and defective equipment
You may not think twice about how that pink shrimp — purchased at a grocery store or served to you in a restaurant – actually got to your plate. But the supply chain starts with the shrimp fleets, many of which operate from the Gulf of Mexico. And you may not think how inadequate training and defective equipment on fishing boats may lead to numerous injuries and fatalities in commercial fishing.