Occupational Health of Maritime and Oceanic Fishing Industries.* Judith R. Guernsey**
The hazardous working conditions encountered by those engaged in oceanic and maritime fishing have received relatively little attention. Fishers are at highly increased risk for drownings and work-related traumatic injuries. Asphyxiation, skin, gastric and esophageal cancers, skin allergies and lesions, and exposure-related (sun, weather extremes) conditions have also been observed to be health concerns for fishers. Isolated working conditions, long shifts without sufficient rest, adverse weather, lack of formal safety training, inadequate personal protective equipment, and work-related stress have been attributed to increase the risks associated with fishing. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current literature related to the health impacts of occupational hazards in the fishing industries, and to highlight current intervention initiatives focused on improving these conditions.
*Presented, in part, at the Fourth International Symposium "Rural Health and Safety in a Changing World" held October 18-22, 1998, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
**Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, 5849 University Avenue, Rm. 311, Halifax NS B3H 4H7 Canada, telephone (902) 494-3860, fax (902) 494-1597, e-mail: j.r.Guernsey@dal.ca.
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