We were all notified by the USCG in January that out-of-water survival crafts would be required in February. Now, we have all been notified that law was repealed for commercial fishing vessels. The laws for survival craft requirements will remain as they were in 2015.
“Section 301 of the 2015 Coast Guard Authorization Act (CGAA) removed the language in 46 USC 3104 that prevented the Coast Guard from approving in-water survival craft….Therefore, in-water survival craft approvals may resume and commercial fishing vessels may continue to use their existing in-water survival crafts…”
“please recognize that if you are currently required to carry an out-of-water survival craft on your commercial fishing vessel in accordance with statue or regulation (see 46 CFR Part 28), that requirement remains in effect. In other words, the current regulatory survival craft requirements for commercial fishing vessels are unchanged until amended or revised by future legislation or rule making. “