The commercial industry is present throughout the United States and its territories.  The industry ranges from small operators to large corporations, representing more than 50,000 commercial fishing vessels and their crew.  A robust communication plan is needed to ensure that important information is easily shared between the Coast Guard and the fishing industry.  Information resources and methods of communication may differ from region to region, as such, the communication plan must support stakeholder needs.

Outreach is a mechanism used by the Coast Guard to relay information to the public, including marine-related industries.  The Coast Guard often conducts outreach to advance targeted campaigns and initiatives.  An example of this is the personal floatation device (PFD) safety campaign that encourages mariners to use appropriate PFDs when working in potentially hazardous marine environments.  Experienced District Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Coordinators and field fishing vessel safety examiners coordinate, facilitate, and conduct outreach with the fishing industry and communities to disseminate information.

The Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety National Communications plan is intended to establish a standardized framework of communications that will make sharing and disseminating information between the U.S. Coast Guard and commercial fishing industry easier.

CFVS National Communications Plan Work Instruction