Fishing safety
Commercial fishing is consistently ranked among Canada's most dangerous jobs. Here's what actually causes serious injuries and deaths, and what basic precautions look like.
Key facts
- Leading injury/fatality causes
- Entanglement, falls overboard, vessel accidents
- Distress and calling channel
- VHF Channel 16
- Storm days
- Boats stay tied up -- a safety decision, not a scheduling one
- Ranking
- Consistently one of Canada's most dangerous occupations
Why fishing is high-risk
Small vessels, heavy gear, cold water, and working in open-ocean weather combine to make commercial fishing one of the highest fatality-rate occupations in Canada. Unlike a land-based job, a serious incident at sea can mean help is a long way off, and cold water survival time is short even for a strong swimmer.
Entanglement and gear hazards
Rope and trap-line entanglement during setting and hauling is one of the most common serious-injury and fatality causes on lobster and crab boats -- a foot or hand caught in a running line can pull a crew member overboard in an instant. Staying clear of moving line, knowing exactly where gear is running, and never standing in a coil of rope on deck are basic, non-negotiable habits.
Weather and storm days
Boats stay tied up on days when weather makes fishing unsafe -- a real storm day is a safety decision, not a scheduling inconvenience, and pushing to fish in conditions a boat shouldn't be out in is how serious incidents happen. See our seasons hub for how storm days affect a season's fishing days.
Basic precautions
Well-run boats train new crew on man-overboard procedure, keep survival suits and safety gear on board and accessible, and expect everyone to know basic VHF radio procedure (including Channel 16, the international distress and calling channel) in case of emergency. Ask about a boat's safety practices and gear before your first trip if you're new.
Off-season and mental health
The financial pressure of a short, catch-dependent season -- where one bad year for price or volume can mean real hardship -- is a recognized stress on fishing families and crew, alongside the physical demands of the work itself. If the stress of the season or the off-season becomes hard to manage, provincial mental health and crisis lines (listed on our responsible gambling page alongside gambling-specific helplines) are a starting point for support.
Frequently asked questions
Is commercial fishing really the most dangerous job in Canada?
It's consistently cited as one of Canada's most dangerous occupations by fatality and injury rate, driven by cold water, small vessels, heavy gear, and working in open ocean weather. Rope and gear entanglement, falls overboard, and vessel accidents are the leading causes of serious injury and death.
What's the biggest safety risk on deck?
Entanglement in trap lines and rope while gear is being set or hauled is one of the most common serious-injury and fatality causes -- it can pull a crew member overboard or cause severe injury in seconds. Staying clear of moving line and knowing how to react if a line runs is basic, essential training.
Do crews get safety training?
Standards vary by boat and area, but basic safety training (including things like man-overboard drills, use of survival suits, and VHF radio procedure) is standard practice on well-run boats, and increasingly required by regulation for certain vessel sizes and fisheries.
Related guides
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