Fish Processor News

Inadequate planning for hot work led to a fire aboard a commercial fish processor while docked at a shipyard in Tacoma, Wash., the National Transportation Safety Board said in its marine investigation report released Thursday.On Feb. 17, 2021, a fire was reported on the commercial fish processor Aleutian Falcon while the vessel was docked for repairs at a shipyard in Tacoma, Washington. The Tacoma Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire four days later. No one was on board the vessel at the time of the fire, and there were no injuries reported.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a party may have a maritime lien under the Federal Maritime Lien Act without having a maritime contract. In the instant case, plaintiff fish processor contracted with various fishing vessel owners to land and process their squid catch. Plaintiff brought suit against the vessels in rem when the vessel owners did not fully pay the contracted amounts. The trial court granted the owners' motion to dismiss the complaint, finding that plaintiff did not have a maritime lien against the vessels because the contract was not maritime in nature. The appellate court reversed, ruling that…

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a fish processing barge that is towed across navigable water twice a year can qualify as a "vessel in navigation" for certain purposes of the Jones Act. as a fish processor on a fish processing barge. The trial court granted defendant owner's motion for summary judgment, ruling that the barge was not a vessel in navigation for purposes of the Jones Act. The barge is a documented vessel, but was granted permanently moored status by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1997. It is towed from Seattle to Alaska each year for the fishing season and then returned at the end of the season for storage. The appellate court noted that the barge is seaworthy and does in fact navigate the seas on occasion.