The Observer, May 2006
Winter meeting turns up fishing vessel concerns
Alyeska Pipeline’s program for using fishing vessels in oil-spill responses is worth keeping, but could use some changes, such as more training, better communication, and higher pay.
Those are some of the key issues identified in December 2005 during a council-sponsored meeting of captains of vessels that participate in the program. Under the program, Alyeska keeps some 350 vessels under contract for oil-spill response in Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. The program includes training drills to keep the vessels and their crews ready to respond quickly and effectively.
IMPORTANT ROLE: Fishing vessels will play a critical part in the response if there’s another major oil spill in Prince William Sound. These vessels are participating in training exercises near Homer in April. Photo by Roy Robertson, citizens’ council.
The ten captains participating in the meeting were promised anonymity so they could speak freely.
Among the key issues identified:
• Future of the program: Participants did not want to see the program end but were concerned about the attrition of the fishing vessel fleet. Recruiting new vessels into the program and training additional crews would help strengthen the program, they felt.
• Communication: Participants wanted better communication with Alyeska’s Ship Escort/Response Vessel System (or SERVS), which runs the program. They felt Alyeska’s community-based fishing vessel program administrators, who work under contract, were doing an excellent job but the fishermen still wanted more direct communication with SERVS. A newsletter on training opportunities, exercises and other program activities would be helpful, according to participants.
• Compensation: The fishermen wanted more money for their services, citing increased costs for such things as moorage, insurance, maintenance, and crew wages. SERVS contract rates for the fishing vessels have not changed in ten years, according to the fishermen.
• Training: Participants wanted more training opportunities, noting that the number of exercises has decreased over the years. They suggested a video be developed for crews to take refresher training as time permits.
• Mobilization: This refers to how quickly vessels can be brought into action after a spill is reported. Mobilization problems that need to be addressed included out-of-the-area vessel owners and crews; snow; ice; and tides, according the participants.
• Clear rules: SERVS needs to clarify and enforce requirements for participation. For example, participants felt that either all vessels should be allowed to have deck houses or reels, or all vessels should be required to have clean decks. Vessel inspections were seen as a good tool for consistent application of the rules.
Participants felt the meeting was beneficial and recommended it be held annually. They praised the citizens’ council and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation for their part in it.
Roy Robertson, the council program manager who helped arrange and conduct the meeting, said a report on the findings will be sent to Alyeska in hopes of resolving some of the captains’ concerns. The council has already discussed the meeting with Alyeska and some issues have already been addressed. For example, this year’s spring training exercises included the vessel inspections recommended by the captains, Robertson said.