Commercial Fishing Safety: Gulf of Mexico

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At a glance

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.
Shrimp boat with its distinctive rigging heading out from Key West, FL. Image by Jason Cordell, Getty Images.

Trends in Gulf of Mexico Commercial Fishing Fatalities, 2000-2019

Average Annual Fatalities in the Gulf of Mexico by Decade
Decade Annual Average
2000-2009 11.5
2010-2019 8.6

Quick Stats

During 2000-2019, 201 Commercial Fishermen Died in the Gulf of Mexico.

Types of Incidents Causing FatalitiesA

  • Fall Overboard (83, 41%)
  • Vessel Disaster (76, 38%)
  • Onboard Fatality (31, 15%)
  • Diving Fatality (11, 5%)

Top Three Causes of Death

  • Drowning (164, 82%)
  • Blunt Force Trauma (20, 10%)
  • Unintentional Overdose (3, 2%)

Fisheries with the Most Fatalities

  • Shrimp (103, 51%)
  • Snapper/Grouper (21, 10%)
  • Oyster (15, 7%)

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

Resources

Southwest Center for Agricultural Health Commercial Fishing Safety Resources

Texas Sea Grant

Louisiana Sea Grant

U.S. Coast Guard District 8

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Content Source
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
About This Page
Published: May 15, 2024
Updated: October 28, 2026

This page was last updated on this date. Updates may include minor edits, image changes, or other modifications to page content.

Reviewed: December 5, 2023

The information on this page was last reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy.

  1. Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding
  • NIOSH Commercial Fishing Incident Database