Five commercial vessels were required to return to port in Petersburg on Saturday and Sunday for safety violations by the Coast Guard by boarding teams. They must correct their vessel violations and get an inspection prior to setting back out.

Acccording to the Coast Guard, the vessels had common violations that included lack of immersion suits, expired flares, lack of approved survival craft, lack of approved life rings and expired or non-approved fire extinguishers.

“Alaska is an unforgiving environment and it’s critical that fishermen are prepared for sea with the proper equipment to safeguard their lives,” said Lt. Ryan Erickson, chief of incident management, Coast Guard Sector Juneau. “Fishermen can contact their local Coast Guard sector office or marine safety detachment to schedule a free commercial fishing vessel safety exam. They will not incur fines for violations discovered at the dock and it can save them time and money later by preventing a voyage termination at sea.”

Below is a list of local examiners for various areas of the state:

• Juneau: Mr. Scott Wilwert – 907-463-2248
• Sitka: Mr. Steven Ramp – 907-966-5620
• Ketchikan: Mr. Jim Paul – 907-225-4496 Ext. 233
• Valdez: Chief Machinery Technician Steven Blythe – 907-835-7225
• Anchorage: Chief Boatswain’s Mate Jon-Michael Jones – 907-271-1954
• Kodiak: Petty Officer 2nd Class Aaron Jessup – 907-486-5918
• Dutch Harbor: Lt. Mark Labert – 907-581-3466
• Homer/Kenai: Lt. William Albright – 907-235-3292

Additional and more specific information for commercial fishing vessel safety requirements visit: www.fishsafe.info.