Written by Steve B | Updated on Jun 13, 2024
Here are some highlights to consider.
The opioid epidemic has ravaged communities across America, and the commercial fishing industry is no exception. With grueling working conditions, lack of employment benefits, easy access to drugs at ports, and an ethos of self-reliance, fatal overdoses have become an occupational hazard on fishing vessels.
The article by Nathaniel Rich in The New York Times Magazine examines how a deadly fentanyl overdose in July 2021 aboard the fishing boat Jersey Pride spurred greater adoption of naloxone (Narcan) to prevent such tragedies. Deckhand Brian Murphy died after overdosing just days into his first commercial fishing trip. His death was broadcast over marine radio as the captain made a harrowing mayday call – a gut-wrenching moment overheard by crews on nearby boats.
Murphy’s needless death galvanized the push to equip fishing fleets with naloxone and train deckhands on administering it. Organizations like the Fishing Partnership have been leading this charge, offering free training and naloxone distribution. However, they faced resistance from boat owners fearing it enables drug use onboard.
The article follows how one fishing business, the Alexander fleet in New Bedford, Mass., ultimately embraced putting naloxone on every vessel after hearing the Jersey Pride’s desperate mayday call. The family-run operation made carrying the overdose-reversal drug mandatory fleet-wide as a means of rendering aid – an ethos as old as fishing itself.
With fentanyl’s potency, a fishing boat’s remote location, and Coast Guard delays, the article posits that naloxone has become essential onboard safety gear akin to life rings and fire extinguishers. As one deckhand puts it: “Narcan is a God-given thing that should be part of everybody’s training, especially in the business that I am in. It’s a pivotal tool of survival that should be on every boat.”
Steve B
Steve is a tech lead for digital publishing, security, and tech performance enhancement.
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