The Effect of Weather Factors on the Severity of Fishing Boat Accidents in Atlantic Canada

Commercial fishing is an inherently risky industry, and the safety of the people and property involved is always a concern of maritime administrations. The purpose of this study is to determine whether certain weather factors affect the severity of fishing incidents. The study area encompasses a broad extent of Atlantic Canadian waters, using fishing boat incidents recorded by Canadian Coast Guard from 1997 to 1999. Weather data from numerous sources were processed to ascertain the conditions during each incident. Statistical analyses were conducted to determine which of the following six weather factors are predictors of incident severity: wave height; sea surface temperature; air temperature; ice concentration; fog presence; and precipitation. Logistic regression established that wave height and ice concentration can predict the likelihood of an incident being classified as distress or non-distress. These results can be instructive for better preventive measures for hazardous weather conditions. Search and rescue personnel can also better anticipate and plan for severe incident occurrences as a function of the weather forecasts.