
SEAWORTHY Mission
The Michael Roberts/Jonathan Saraiva Foundation for Fishing Safety, Inc.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of being provided safe vessels and guaranteed safe working conditions and an environment that always puts safety first.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of vessel captains, fellow crew members, and vessel owners who are educated on safe working practices and devoted to creating a positive safety culture.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of consistent, effective safety training and state-of-the-art safety equipment.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of the consistent distribution of personal protective equipment.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of the protection from and prevention of occupational injuries and trauma.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of the freedom from opioid dependence and the assistance necessary to deal with and overcome addiction.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of transparent communications from vessel captains and owners.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of elected officials who fully understand the dangers of commercial fishing and who are willing to use their influence to enact and enforce industry-wide safety improvements.
- Our noble fishermen/women are WORTHY of regulatory agencies that fully comprehend the safety deficiencies in the commercial fishing industry, embrace the challenge of their missions and ensure that unsafe conditions and practices are detected, investigated, and remedied.
The commercial fishing industry’s fatality rate is nearly 30 times higher than the national average. The commercial fishing community is WORTHY of our fight to make this industry safer. SEAWORTHY is dedicated to promoting safety within the industry by working with vessel owners and management, vessel captains and crews, and organizations that provide education to the industry on safe working practices and conditions. This includes not only the conditions and equipment necessary to ensure the safety of the navigational and harvesting aspects of the job but also safe working practices for all of a fisherman’s work duties, including lifting, product preparation, equipment maintenance, occupational exposures, and repetitive tasks and stresses. SEAWORTHY will focus on the newest and most advanced safety equipment, technology, and safety practices and bring them to the attention of the industry’s various stakeholders. SEAWORTHY will help promote education in safety and survival training along with other related topics. SEAWORTHY will also work to help the industry solve its opioid epidemic by educating stakeholders on this problem, working with them to identify and implement solutions, and working with support services to assist our fishermen/women. On all of these issues, SEAWORTHY is dedicated to providing education for and fostering a positive relationship among our elected officials, regulatory agencies, vessel owners, and their insurers to improve all aspects of vessel safety and commercial fishing workplace.