Deadliest year for B.C. fishermen in a decade TSB says
2015 is the worst year for loss of life on fishing vessels in a decade, says Transportation Safety Board
This has has become the deadliest year for B.C. fishermen in a decade, following the capsizing of a commercial fishing boat north of Tofino on the weekend, says the Transportation Safety Board.
Three crew members died when the Caledonian, owned by Pacific Seafood, capsized Saturday night, at about 8 pm. PT, off Estevan Point on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
That brings the number of deaths in B.C. fishing to six for 2015, said Glenn Budden, a senior marine investigator with the Transportation Safety Board.
"It's not been a good year for B.C. fishermen," he said. "We haven't had that large a number for the past decade."
Capsizing under investigation
The Transportation Safety Board is still determining the scope of its investigation into Saturday's capsizing, said Budden.
The weather conditions were not bad, with light winds and one-metre seas, he said.
Loss of life on fishing vessels is an issue on the TSB's "watch list," meaning it considers the number of accidents, and deaths they cause, unacceptably high.
Budden cited other high-profile commercial vessels that capsized, including the Ocean Tor, which capsized in 2005 killing two people.
In 2004, the Hope Bay capsized in Queen Charlotte Sound, killing three — with a total of six fishers dead that year, he said.
In 2002, the Cap Rouge II capsized near the mouth of the Fraser River, killing five, including two children.