The short version
- From 2000 to 2019, 878 US commercial fishermen died from a traumatic injury while fishing, an average of more than 43 deaths a year[1].
- Four causes account for all of it: vessel disasters 47%, falls overboard 30%, onboard injuries 14%, diving and onshore 9%[1].
- In 2019 the industry’s fatality rate was over 40 times the national average for all workers[2]. In 2024 all US workers died at 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalents[3].
- The 14% killed by onboard injuries are the deaths a medicine chest, trained crew and a physician on the line can actually change.
The rate, not the count, is the story
Forty-three deaths a year sounds small next to road transport. Measured per worker it is one of the deadliest jobs in the country. NIOSH states the commercial fishing fatality rate in 2019 was more than 40 times higher than the national average for all workers[2].
The national baseline is published every year. BLS counted 5,070 fatal work injuries in 2024, a rate of 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers[3]. Farming, fishing and forestry occupations were the highest-rate group at 25.4 per 100,000, double construction and extraction at 12.6[4].
| Benchmark, 2024 unless noted | Fatal injury rate per 100,000 FTE | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All US workers | 3.3 | BLS CFOI 2024[3] |
| Farming, fishing and forestry occupations | 25.4 | BLS CFOI 2024[4] |
| Construction and extraction | 12.6 | BLS CFOI 2024[4] |
| Commercial fishing | Over 40 times the national average (2019) | NIOSH[2] |
Two datasets, two methods. BLS counts occupations across the whole economy. NIOSH runs the Commercial Fishing Incident Database, which has tracked work-related fishing deaths case by case since 1991[2]. Quote them separately and you stay accurate. Add them together and you do not.
878 deaths, four causes
The national NIOSH summary for 2000 to 2019 is the cleanest picture a US operator has[1].
| Cause of death, 2000 to 2019[1] | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel disasters (sinking, capsizing, grounding) | 414 | 47% |
| Falls overboard | 266 | 30% |
| Onboard injuries (machinery, deck gear, trauma) | 122 | 14% |
| Diving and onshore injuries | 76 | 9% |
| Total | 878 | Over 43 a year |
Why the split matters for a medical plan
Vessel disasters and falls overboard are survived, or not, in the water. Life rafts, immersion suits and worn flotation decide those. The 122 onboard deaths happened with the casualty still on deck, which is where a stocked chest, a trained crew member and a physician on the radio change the outcome. See cold water immersion survival for the water half.
Where the deaths happen
Alaska has the reputation. The East Coast has the higher count[1].
| Region, 2000 to 2019[1] | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast | 288 | 33% |
| Alaska | 236 | 27% |
| Gulf of Mexico | 201 | 23% |
| West Coast | 141 | 16% |
| Hawaii and the Pacific | 12 | 1% |
Alaska’s share fell after decades of targeted regulation, survival training and dockside exams. That is the argument for a written medical and safety program rather than local habit. Our Alaska fleet compliance guide covers what the region now expects.
The falls-overboard number every skipper should know
Falls overboard killed 266 fishermen over the period[1]. The detailed CDC study of 204 fatal falls from 2000 to 2016 found none of the victims was wearing a personal flotation device at the time of death[5].
- 59.3% of the fatal falls were unwitnessed, and 108 of those victims were not located within an hour[5].
- Of 83 witnessed falls, 22 victims were recovered and none were successfully resuscitated[5].
- A man-overboard alarm was reportedly used in one event[5].
- Lost balance (32.2%) and tripping or slipping (31.5%) led the circumstances[5].
NIOSH recommends worn flotation, man-overboard alarms with GPS, rescue slings rather than life rings, re-boarding ladders and monthly man-overboard drills[6]. The drill requirement is already federal law for many fishing vessels under 46 CFR 28.270[8].
The 14% a medical program actually reaches
Onboard injuries killed 122 fishermen in 20 years[1], and every non-fatal deck injury sits in the same category: crush injuries from winches and gurdies, hook and knife wounds, fractures, burns, head injuries. On a fishing vessel these are treated by a deckhand, not a nurse.
Federal law sets a floor. 46 CFR 28.210 requires a first aid manual and a medicine chest sized for the crew, and at least one person certified in first aid and one in CPR on any vessel with more than 2 aboard, rising to 2 each above 16 aboard and 4 each above 49[7]. One certified person on a boat working 20 hours a day is a single point of failure.
What the floor does not give you: a chest matched to the fishery’s actual injuries, prescription analgesia and its DEA paperwork, a named physician to call, or written thresholds for turning back. Read the 28.210 rules in full and commercial fishing vessel medical requirements.
What this data cannot tell you
Three limits worth stating before anyone quotes these figures in a safety meeting.
- It counts deaths, not injuries. NIOSH’s database tracks work-related fatalities[2]. The crush injuries, fractures and lacerations that a chest and a trained deckhand handle every season are not in the 878.
- It is a national picture, not your fishery. A Gulf shrimper, a Bering Sea crabber and a Maine lobster boat share almost no risk profile. Regional and fishery summaries exist for that reason[1].
- The denominator is soft. Employment in fishing is seasonal and often self-employed, which is why NIOSH and BLS publish different rates for overlapping populations[2][3].
Used properly the numbers do one job well: they tell an operator which failure to spend the next dollar on. For the merchant-fleet comparison see what kills seafarers, and for what crews actually call a doctor about, medical emergencies at sea by the numbers.
Five changes the data supports
- Worn flotation on deck. Zero of 204 fall victims wore a PFD[5]. Nothing else on this list is that cheap.
- Monthly drills that include recovery from the water, as 28.270 already requires[8], timed and logged.
- More than one certified crew member. The federal minimum assumes the trained person is not the casualty[7].
- A chest matched to trauma, not a drugstore kit: haemorrhage control, splinting, burns, analgesia. See ship medical chest management.
- A physician on the line and written evacuation thresholds before the season. Thresholds belong in writing before the season: when to medevac a seafarer, planned by voyage length in remote vessel medical planning.
Discovery Health MD builds that medical half for US fishing and workboat operators: chests under MedChest, scheduled drugs under controlled substances management, and protocols under maritime medical consulting. Ask Ann Jarris MD, what your fishery’s injury profile should put in the chest.
Common questions
How many commercial fishermen die each year in the US?
An average of more than 43 a year. NIOSH recorded 878 deaths from traumatic injury while fishing between 2000 and 2019[1].
How dangerous is commercial fishing compared with other jobs?
NIOSH states the 2019 fishing fatality rate was over 40 times the national average for all workers[2]. For scale, BLS put the all-worker rate at 3.3 per 100,000 full-time equivalents in 2024, and farming, fishing and forestry occupations at 25.4, the highest of any occupational group[3][4].
What is the leading cause of death in commercial fishing?
Vessel disasters, 414 deaths or 47% from 2000 to 2019, followed by falls overboard at 266 deaths or 30%[1].
Which US region loses the most fishermen?
The East Coast, with 288 deaths from 2000 to 2019, ahead of Alaska at 236, the Gulf of Mexico at 201 and the West Coast at 141[1].
Were the men who fell overboard wearing life jackets?
No. In 204 fatal falls overboard from 2000 to 2016, none of the victims was wearing a personal flotation device when they died[5].
What first aid training does a US fishing vessel need?
Under 46 CFR 28.210, a vessel with more than 2 people aboard needs at least one crew member certified in first aid and one in CPR, plus a first aid manual and a medicine chest sized for the crew. The numbers rise to 2 each above 16 aboard and 4 each above 49[7].
Where does this data come from?
Two federal sources. NIOSH runs the Commercial Fishing Incident Database, case by case since 1991[2]. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries for all US industries[3]. They use different methods, so keep the figures separate.
