Commercial Fishing Safety in the Gulf of Mexico
A photo of a side-trawl shrimp boat tied up at the dock. Photo by NIOSH
Trends in Commercial Fishing Fatalities
During 2000–2019, 201 commercial fishing deaths due to traumatic injury occurred in the Gulf of Mexico. There was an overall decreasing trend over this 20-year period.
(Source: NIOSH Commercial Fishing Incident Database)
Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fishing Fatalities, 2000-2019 (n=201)
| Decade | Annual Average |
|---|---|
| 2000-2009 | 11.5 |
| 2010-2019 | 8.6 |
Quick Stats
| Fatalities by Incident Type1 | Top Three Causes of Death | Fisheries with the Most Fatalities |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Overboard (83, 41%) | Drowning (164, 82%) | Shrimp (103, 51%) |
| Vessel Disaster (76, 38%) | Blunt Force Trauma (20, 10%) | Snapper/Grouper (21, 10%) |
| Onboard Fatality (31, 15%) | Unintentional Overdose (3, 2%) | Oyster (15, 7%) |
| Diving Fatality (11, 5%) |
1Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.
Research Highlights
Summary of fishing fatalities in the Gulf of Mexico
Stationary Guards for Deck Winches on Shrimp Vessels
Winch Injuries in the Southern Shrimp Fleet
See more research from the Gulf of Mexico and beyond on our Publications page.