Factory Trawlers And Fish Processing Vessels
Maritime Injury lawyer James Beard of Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, represents crewmen and fish processors working aboard Alaska catcher processors in the Bering sea. Beard has successfully represented hundreds of fish processors and crewmen who were injured working aboard catcher processors in the Bering Sea.
Our attorneys have litigated against all the big fishing companies including American Seafoods, Arctic Storm, Coastal village, Glacier Fish Co., Starbound and Trident Seafoods. From the bottom of the freezer hold, through the processing deck to the trawl deck, attorney Beard and his partners at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, understand the work aboard catcher processor vessels, and they know how injuries to crewmen and fish processors could have been prevented.
We’ve Won Millions Of Dollars For Injured Crewmen And Fish Processors
Commercial fishing in the Bering Sea is highly regulated. In 1998 the American Fisheries Act (AFA) was passed. Vessels of 100 feet or greater participating in United States fisheries must have 75% or greater ownership and control by United States citizens. Under AFA, Bering sea Pollock quota shares were allocated to qualifying vessels. The catcher processor fleet was assigned 40% of the Pollock catch in the Bering Sea, 50% was allocated to catcher vessels, and 10% to motherships. Any one individual or entity was prohibited from harvesting more than 17.5% of the catch. 14 catcher processors, owned by seven companies, participated in the 2015 Bering Sea Pollock fishery harvesting approximately a half-billion metric tons of Pollock. All of the Bering Sea catcher processor vessels except one (the Northern Hawk) are home ported in Seattle, Washington. Five catcher processor vessels owned by American Seafoods accounted for nearly one-half (47.37%) of the catcher processor fleets allocated share. The Bering Sea catcher processor fleet harvests more than one-third of the total weight of commercial fish landed in the United States each year.
The 14 catcher processor vessels fishing in the Bering Sea for Pollock in 2015 were:
- American Seafoods
- Trident Seafoods
- American Dynasty
- Island Enterprise
- American Triumph
- Kodiak Enterprise
- Northern Eagle
- Seattle Enterprise
- Northern Jaeger
- Ocean Rover
- Arctic Fjord Ltd.
- Glacier Fish Co.
- Arctic Fjord
- Alaska Ocean
- Pacific Glacier
- Arctic Storm Ltd.
- Starbound Ltd.
- Arctic Storm
- Starbound
- C/P Northern ( Coastal Villages)
- Northern Hawk
You’re Tough — So Are We
For crewmen and fish processors working on these state-of-the-art Alaska catcher processors, the long hours of strenuous work can pay high rewards. Working on a catcher processor in the Bering Sea requires physical and mental toughness. For some people, the job is a perfect fit. If you have a strong back, are willing to tolerate long hours and are a hard worker, no one cares about the qualifications typically required in a shoreside job. You don’t need a car to drive to work and you don’t have to speak English well; you just have to be able to get the job done.
Unfortunately, crewmen working for even the best fishing companies are sometimes injured through negligence or unseaworthiness of their vessels. Crewmen and fish processors who are injured working aboard Bering Sea fish processors are protected by federal maritime laws. Almost without exception, injured crewmen and fish processors are entitled to maintenance and cure benefits. These no-fault benefits include payment of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses and payment of a daily living allowance while you are recovering from your injuries.
We Can Answer You Questions And Help You Recover
If a crewman or fish processor is injured as a result of negligence or unseaworthiness, they are entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, lost past and future wages, lost earning capacity, vocational retraining, and past and future medical expenses.
If you have been injured working on an Alaska Bering Sea catcher processor and you have questions about your rights to compensation for your injuries, contact maritime injury lawyer James Beard and his partners at Trueb Berne & Beard, LLP, to discuss your case. Call 425-403-1900 or fill out our online contact form today to arrange your free initial consultation.