High Seas, High Risks: America’s Deadliest Fisheries

April 2, 2001—It was a seemingly ordinary night in the frigid expanse of the Bering Sea. A 92-foot fishing trawler named the Arctic Rose and her Seattle-based crew of 15 were in the third month of their four-month trip in the fishing grounds off the Alaskan coast, when the vessel suddenly vanished.

There was no distress call. It was as if the Arctic Rose had fallen off the edge of the world, consumed by the sea in a single, catastrophic moment.

The only clue was a ping from an emergency locator. When the Alaskan Rose, sister ship to the Arctic Rose, arrived at the site in the morning, just an oil slick and the body of the ship’s captain, still in his red survival suit, remained.

The U.S. Coast Guard later located the sunken trawler upright at the bottom of the Bering Sea in 428 feet of freezing water, but investigators could not determine with confidence what had caused the vessel to sink. Video footage of an open watertight door, however, led to the conclusion that the Arctic Rose had flooded in less than five minutes, giving the crew no time to escape.

The loss of the Arctic Rose is one of the deadliest commercial fishing accidents in U.S. history, but it is not an isolated incident. It is a horrific example of the hazards that lurk in one of the world’s most dangerous occupations.

The Most Dangerous Regions & Catches for U.S. Fishermen

The fatality rate in commercial fishing is 75.2 per 100,000 full-time workers, a staggering 21 times higher than the national average of 3.6. TV shows like The Deadliest Catch and movies like The Perfect Storm have made more people familiar with the risks that fishermen face, but what is the stark reality? Which regions are the most hazardous? Which catches are truly the deadliest?

Analyzing NIOSH statistics from 2013 to 2022 reveals America’s most hazardous fisheries. The Gulf of Mexico, known for its shrimp fishing, witnessed 36 deaths, making it one of the deadliest areas. Most fatalities were due to falls overboard and vessel disasters. Alaska, famous for its salmon and cod fishing, accounted for 52 deaths across these two fisheries. On the East Coast, scallop fishing led to 19 deaths, while crab and lobster fishing accounted for a combined 24 fatalities. The West Coast, especially known for Dungeness crab fishing, saw 16 deaths, primarily from vessel disasters.

Vessel disasters are the leading cause of death in commercial fishing, accounting for 37% of fatalities from 2013 to 2022. These include events like flooding, being struck by large waves, and collisions. The statistics show that heavy weather was a factor in 51% of these disasters.

Falls overboard are the second most common cause, responsible for 33% of deaths. Alarmingly, 66% of these incidents were not witnessed, highlighting the importance of crew supervision as well as personal flotation devices and effective man-overboard alarms (and responses).

Onboard fatalities accounted for 20% of fatalities, ranging from gear entanglement and drug overdoses to asphyxiation and even suicide and homicide.

By region, the East Coast led with 36% of the fatalities, followed by Alaska with 27%, the Gulf of Mexico with 22%, the West Coast with 13%, and Hawaii with 2%. This distribution highlights the varying dangers in different fishing environments.

Fatality Rates of American Fisheries

To better understand where commercial fishing risks are highest, it's crucial to look beyond the sheer number of deaths and consider fatality rates. This approach takes into account the differences in the number of vessels, fishermen, and season lengths among various commercial fishing fleets.

The most recent information regarding commercial fishing fatality rates, by region, was calculated by NIOSH and involves an analysis of statistics from 2005-2014. According to the Commercial Fishing Fatality Summary: Gulf of Mexico Region, while the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fleet experienced the highest number of fatalities from 2005 to 2014, with 48 crew member deaths, this statistic alone is misleading. Due to its large workforce, this fishery actually had the nation’s lowest fatality rate.

NIOSH uses a specific formula to calculate fatality rates in commercial fishing: the number of vessels, multiplied by crew per vessel, multiplied by the number of operating days, and then adjusted for a standard 40-hour workweek. This formula helps to standardize the risk assessment across different fisheries. In NIOSH’s Commercial Fishing Fatality Summary, this rate is presented per 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers as opposed to the national rate measured per 100,000 FTE workers. This supports the smaller sample size available for commercial fishing statistics.

Looking at the commercial fishing fatality rates from 2005-2014, we get a clear picture of America’s deadliest catches:

• Northeast Multispecies Groundfish (East Coast): 30
• Atlantic Clam/Quahog Dredge (East Coast): 22.5
• Atlantic Snapper/Grouper (East Coast): 14.5
• Multispecies Groundfish (West Coast):14.5
• Salmon Set Gillnet (Alaska): 12
• Non-Tribal Dungeness Crab (West Coast): 10.5
• Atlantic Squid (East Coast): 10.5
• Atlantic Scallop (East Coast): 10.5
• Atlantic Flounder/Scup/Black Sea Bass (East Coast): 10
• Bering Sea Crab (Alaska): 10
• Shrimp (Gulf of Mexico): 2.3

Note: These are approximate fatality rates, per 10,000 FTE fishermen.

East Coast: Northeast Groundfish, Clam/Quahog Dredge

The top three deadliest fisheries by fatality rate were all on the East Coast.

Northeast Multispecies Groundfish: This fishery, involving the catch of various groundfish such as cod, haddock, and flounders, faces challenges such as rough Atlantic weather conditions and the complex nature of managing multiple species with different fishing regulations and behaviors.

Atlantic Clam/Quahog Dredge: This fishery harvests clams and quahogs from the ocean floor using heavy dredging equipment. The physical demands of this type of fishing, combined with the unpredictable Atlantic Ocean, contribute to its high fatality rate.

Atlantic Snapper/Grouper: Targeting species like snapper and grouper, this fishery involves long hours of line fishing in deep waters. The risks include sudden weather changes and the dangers associated with handling large catches and heavy gear.

West Coast: Multispecies Groundfish & Dungeness Crab

On the West Coast, the two deadliest catches by fatality rate were groundfish and Dungeness crab.

Multispecies Groundfish: Similar to its East Coast counterpart, this fishery targets a variety of groundfish species, including sole, rockfish, flounder, cod, and perch. Fishermen in this region face the Pacific Ocean's vast and often treacherous waters, which can be unpredictable and pose significant risks, especially during stormy weather.

Non-Tribal Dungeness Crab: This fishery is known for its lucrative catches but also for the hazardous conditions of the Pacific, including rogue waves and strong currents. The physical labor of hauling crab pots and navigating through challenging maritime conditions contributes to its high fatality rate.

Alaska: Salmon Set Gillnet

In Alaskan waters, salmon set gillnet was the region’s deadliest fishery. This method involves setting stationary nets in which salmon become entangled. The Alaskan waters, known for their frigid temperatures and sudden storms, pose significant dangers. Additionally, the remote locations of these fisheries can delay rescue efforts in emergencies, increasing the risk for fishermen.

What Makes These Fisheries So Dangerous?

America’s deadliest fisheries and catches made our list for specific reasons. Now, it’s time to understand the “why” behind their high injury and fatality rates. It is also important to note that, although some of these factors cannot be prevented, their risks can be minimized. Any hazard can be lessened or even eliminated altogether if weather warnings are heeded and safety standards are followed to the letter.

The regions and target species on our “deadliest” list share a handful of brutal realities:

Extreme Weather Windows
Groundfish trawlers on Georges Bank, Dungeness crabbers off Cape Disappointment, and salmon set gillneters in Bristol Bay all work fast, finite seasons driven by quotas or fish biology. Boats often go out in whatever the sky and sea deliver—nor’easters, Aleutian williwaws, icy Gulf of Alaska squalls, or winter bar-pressure lows rolling through the Columbia Bar. Heavy weather means steep following seas, icing, and rogue waves that overwhelm scuppers and stability in seconds.

Heavy Gear & Entanglement Hazards
Each fishery relies on large, unforgiving equipment: scallop dredges weighing tons, 800-pound crab pots, gillnets that can cinch around a deckhand’s ankle, longline anchors, hydraulic blocks, and high-tension winch cables. One slip, trip, or fouled line can drag a crew member overboard or pin them hard against the bulwark before anyone can hit the kill switch.

Aging, Over-Worked Vessels
Many fleets still use vessels built in the 1970s-90s. Hull corrosion, fatigued welds, outdated watertight doors, and under-maintained propulsion or bilge systems can turn a heavy roll or minor leak into a catastrophic flooding event. In the Alaska crab fleet alone, the average hull age is more than 40 years—far beyond its original design life.

Long Hours & Crew Fatigue
Economic pressure pushes some companies and skippers to maximize every weather window. Crews often work 18- to 20-hour stretches baiting gear, hauling nets, picking fish, and boxing product. Sleep debt slows reaction time, erodes judgment, and makes missteps with knives, hooks, or hoists more likely—while also diminishing the vigilance needed to spot emergencies or man-overboard events in time.

Remote, Cold-Water Operating Areas
Whether 100 miles off Cape Cod or 200 miles into the Bering Sea, help is hours away in good weather—and sometimes days away in a gale. In water that averages 40°F or colder, survival time without proper immersion gear is measured in minutes. If an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) fails or a man overboard goes unwitnessed, the chances of rescue plummet.

Combine these factors, and the margin for error all but disappears. That’s why vessel owners, processors, and fishery managers must invest in modernized hulls, workable crew schedules, redundant stability safeguards, and mandatory personal flotation device (PFD) use—because in America’s deadliest fisheries, every safeguard is a potential life saved.

Improving Safety in America’s Deadliest Regions & Catches

Despite these grim statistics, there's a silver lining. Commercial fishing fatalities have decreased by 52% from 2000 to 2022. This decline suggests that safety measures and awareness are improving, but there's still a long way to go. Ultimately, the responsibility lies with vessel owners and operators of commercial fishing operations. Whether through greater adherence to weather warnings, retiring aging fishing vessels, maintaining proper watch, or providing personal flotation devices and requiring their use, these parties must step up and prioritize the well-being of their crews.

When navigating America’s deadliest fisheries, safety must come first. No matter what.