The Bristol Bay Times reports that a new pilot study of the Copper River salmon driftnet fleet aims to examine the long-term health problems of fishermen, including sleep problems and high blood pressure.
“The genesis stemmed from wanting to take a proactive look at the contributing health factors and health issues that are in commercial fishing,” Baker explained. “They’re trying to compare what the off-season health habits and behaviors are versus what might be sacrificed or stressed during the fishing season. So it’s set up as a pre- and mid-season effort.”
The things the researchers are interested it include hearing loss, the presence or absence of hypertension, the amount of exercise that can be documented during the offseason and the fishing season, and sleep and fatigue management.
