Stony Brook, NY, October 31, 2011 – Commercial fishing is a dangerous occupation and when a Safety-At-Sea training course was organized by New York Sea Grant’s marine fisheries specialist Antoinette Clemetson and partners, fishermen signed up for the all-day workshop held at Inlet Seafood in Montauk, NY. This training was being reinstated after a ten year hiatus.
The lifesaving collaboration did not go unnoticed by the US Coast Guard partners who helped to deliver the training to fishermen. Captain Joseph M. Vojvodich, regional commander of Sector Long Island Sound, presented New York Sea Grant with a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding support and outreach on October 24, 2011.
The certificate was presented during a luncheon ceremony held at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) on the Stony Brook University campus attended by staff of New York Sea Grant (NYSG), SoMAS and the US Coast Guard. There was a lively presentation of the Safety-At-Sea training followed by introductions and remarks by Dr. Jim Ammerman, NYSG Director, Dr. Minghua Zhang, Dean of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), and Mr. Bill Wise, Assistant Director of SoMAS. An earlier tour of the boat house facility was led by Dr. Larry Swanson, who described the history behind this ash waste recycling demonstration project.
At the October 24 ceremony are, from left to right: Lt. Christian J. Barger, USCG Marine Safety Detachment Supervisor, Coram; Capt. Bill Nelson, Coast Guard Auxiliary; Officer in Training BMCS Jason Walter, USCG Station Montauk; Antoinette Clemetson, NYSG Fisheries Specialist; Dr. Jim Ammerman, NYSG Director; and Captain Joseph M. Vojvodich, USCG regional commander for Sector Long Island Sound Sector.
The certificate reads:
Department of Homeland Security United States Coast Guard
Certificate of Appreciation For Outstanding Support and Outreach
This certificate is awarded to New York Sea Grant Safety-At-Sea Workshop
The Commander of the United States Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound takes great pleasure in presenting this Certificate of Appreciation to the New York Sea Grant for their Safety-At-Sea workshop. I would like to commend the New York Sea Grant program for your efforts in advancing commercial fishing vessel safety through coordination of the Safety-At-Sea workshop held the past two years in Montauk, NY. The program has significantly advanced the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission and undoubtedly helped prevent tragedies within the commercial fishing vessel fleet.
The workshop provides a unique experience for over 60 commercial fishermen each year to receive valuable training and undergo examinations of safety equipment in an informal environment. Settings of this nature are often more conducive to learning when there is no fear of reprisal as is often experienced during Coast Guard boardings. The lessons learned during the hands-on training with lifesaving gear, damage control measures, and firefighting equipment will not soon be forgotten by the participants.
I would also like to extent my appreciation for your partnership with the staff at the Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Coram, Station Montauk, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary and your inclusion of them in this event. I look forward to future endeavors between the New York Sea Grant program and the local Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Signed this 9th day of September, 2011
Joseph M. Vojvodich, Captain, USCG
Commander,
Sector Long Island Sound
New Haven, CT
New York Sea Grant is one of 32 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a cooperative program of the State University of New York and Cornell University. The National Sea Grant College Program utilizes this network of the nation's premier universities in conducting scientific research, education, training and extension projects designed to encourage science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.
