Determinants of the risk of accidents in the Gulf of Mexico commercial fisheries

I investigate the determinants of casualties (fatal and non-fatal injuries as well as missing) among commercial fishermen in pursuit of all fish species in the Gulf of Mexico. A count data modeling approach is applied to United States Coast Guard (USCG) historical time series data. The results indicate that fishermen are willing to accept financial rewards for an increase in the risk of casualties. I also find that poor weather conditions, as measured by wave height, and lack of job availability in the market increase the chances of casualties. More crewmembers relative to the vessel size help reduce the chances of casualties in dangerous situations at sea. However, in my broad overview of commercial fishery casualties, I could not find a statistically significant positive support for any impact of government policy variables, including the USCG Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) observer programs.