‘A blindness to risk:’ Board calls for mandatory life-jackets for fishermen
MONCTON, N.B. — Before sunrise on June 16, 2016, three bleary-eyed lobster fishermen boarded a small fishing boat in northern New Brunswick and set out on Chaleur Bay.
What would unfold in the early morning hours on that fateful day was detailed in a Transportation Safety Board report Wednesday that once again underscored the danger fishermen face — and the agency’s repeated calls for mandatory life-jackets aboard commercial fishing vessels.
For three days, the seven-metre fishing boat, known only as C19496NB, had remained tied up at dock due to a fierce storm that had churned up rough seas and strong winds.
As the end of the spring lobster season approached, the fishermen were eager to check their 300 traps.