Key Takeaways

  • Commercial general liability insurance protects against third party claims for injuries and property damage.
  • Commercial property insurance covers costs to repair or replace buildings, vessels and equipment after disasters.
  • Commercial auto insurance protects vehicles used for fishing transportation and operations.
  • Commercial fishing boat insurance covers liability and repairs for fishing vessels.
  • Workers’ compensation covers medical costs and lost wages for on-the-job employee injuries.
  • Umbrella insurance increases liability limits above primary policies.
  • Equipment breakdown insurance covers repairs if machinery fails.

Introduction

Finfish fishing businesses face a variety of risks that require careful insurance planning to protect against unexpected costs. This guide outlines the essential insurance types every fishing operation should consider to cover their operations, assets, employees and more.

Commercial General Liability Insurance

Commercial general liability insurance provides important liability protection for businesses in the finfish fishing industry. It helps cover risks inherent to commercial fishing operations such as injuries to crew or customers, property damage, and legal costs from accidents or pollution incidents.
Some key benefits of commercial general liability insurance for finfish fishing businesses include protecting assets from lawsuits, covering accidents on premises, and providing coverage for injuries to contracted workers. It also helps defend against risks like food poisoning claims if seafood is sold directly to consumers.
Common uses of commercial general liability insurance for this industry include covering bodily injury, property damage, slip and fall accidents, pollution incidents, and injuries involving fishing gear. Estimated annual pricing is around $15,000 based on risk profiling for the hazardous nature of commercial fishing.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects the business from third party legal claims of bodily injury and property damage
  • Covers accidents that may occur on business premises
  • Protects the business assets from judgements in the event of a lawsuit
  • Covers incidents that occur during business operations including slip and fall accidents
  • Covers claims for damage to customer property caused during delivery or service work
  • Provides coverage for injuries sustained by contracted/temporary workers
  • Protects against legal costs and damages from food poisoning claims if seafood products are sold directly to consumers
Use Cases
  • Bodily injury or death suffered by employees or customers on premises
  • Property damage caused to customers’ vessels or cargo
  • Legal defense costs and damages from slip and fall accidents
  • Claims from pollution incidents such as oil or fuel spills
  • Lawsuits from injuries or accidents involving fishing gear, equipment or catch

Based on industry data and risk profiling, the estimated average annual pricing for Commercial General Liability Insurance for businesses in the finfish fishing industry (NAICS Code: 114111) is around $15,000/year. This pricing takes into account factors like the hazardous nature of commercial fishing, risk of injuries to crew/operators, risk of damages to equipment, vessels and catches. The pricing was derived from historical claims data and actuarial modeling of expected losses for this industry.

Estimated Pricing: $15,000/year

Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurance provides important financial protection for fishing businesses by covering rebuilding or repair costs from unexpected disasters that can impact vessels, equipment, facilities, and disrupt operations. It helps ensure fishing operations can continue operating after accidents or losses through appropriate coverage. Commercial property insurance is especially important for fishing businesses due to the risks involved in operating vessels at sea. It can help fishing operations bounce back financially after unexpected disasters that impact vessels, facilities, or stop fishing activities. Coverage for fishing gear, tools, and equipment is also crucial as they represent substantial investments and are vulnerable to risks on the water.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protection against property damage and losses from fire, wind, hail and other natural disasters
  • Replacement or repair costs if buildings, equipment or inventory are damaged
  • Liability coverage in case someone is injured on your property
  • Lost business income or extra expenses coverage if operations are disrupted
  • Coverage for equipment and supplies temporarily away from premises like boats out at sea
Use Cases
  • Protection against damage or loss to fishing vessels and equipment from accidents like collisions or bad weather
  • Coverage for buildings like fish processing plants, cold storage facilities, and docks
  • Reimbursement for lost income if property is unusable due to a covered event
  • Replacement or repair costs for fishing gear, nets, traps, or other tools damaged by incidents

Based on industry research and analysis, the estimated average annual pricing for commercial property insurance for businesses in the finfish fishing industry with NAICS code 114111 is around $3,500. This pricing was derived based on average property values, risks, and claims in the industry. Fishing vessels, equipment, facilities are at risk of damage from weather and sea conditions.

Estimated Pricing: $3,500

Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurance provides important liability and physical damage coverage for vehicles used in fishing businesses. It protects the business from lawsuits if accidents occur and covers the costs of repairs if a vehicle is damaged. Additional details about the top benefits and use cases of commercial auto insurance for finfish fishing businesses were provided, including essential coverage for hauling fish catch, transporting employees and supplies, and insuring vehicles used off-road for fishing activities. Estimated average annual pricing of $4,500 was also given based on industry data and risk factors for this industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Liability protection in case of accidents
  • Physical damage coverage for vehicles
  • Medical payments coverage for injured parties
  • Coverage for hired and non-owned vehicles
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
  • Coverage for vehicles used outside the business
  • Replacement cost coverage for new vehicles
Use Cases
  • Insuring company vehicles used to transport fish catch and employees
  • Insuring company vehicles used to transport supplies and equipment
  • Insuring company vehicles used off-road or off-highway for fishing activities
  • Insuring passenger vans or buses used to transport employees
  • Providing non-owned/hired auto liability coverage for vehicles not owned but used by the business

Based on industry data and typical risk factors, the estimated average annual pricing for commercial auto insurance for businesses in the finfish fishing industry with NAICS code 114111 is around $4,500. This pricing takes into account factors like higher risk of accidents due to operating vehicles near water, transporting fish/catch, and long hours/miles driven by commercial fishing vehicles.

Estimated Pricing: $4,500

Commercial Fishing Boat Insurance

Commercial fishing boat insurance provides critical protection for businesses that operate fishing vessels. It helps cover unexpected costs from accidents and losses that could seriously impact operations. Some key benefits of fishing boat insurance include liability coverage for injuries to crew members, reimbursement of lost income if a vessel is unexpectedly out of commission for repairs, and protection against damage or loss of vessels from incidents like collisions. Estimated average annual pricing for fishing boat insurance ranges between $5,000 to $10,000 per vessel depending on vessel size and other factors.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers liability and property damage in the event of an accident
  • Pays for repairs or replacement of the vessel after incidents like fire, collision or sinking
  • Covers medical expenses and liability for crew members in case of injury
  • Reimburses you for lost income if the boat is unexpectedly out of commission for repairs
  • Provides gear and equipment coverage for fishing tools and machinery onboard
  • Offers protection from a variety of perils like hurricanes, cyclones, earthquakes or heavy seas
  • Insures your vessel and equipment against theft or damage from other third parties
Use Cases
  • Protection against damage or loss of fishing vessels from accidents like collisions with other vessels or objects in the water
  • Coverage for onboard injuries to crew members from accidents
  • Liability protection against claims from third parties like other vessels in an incident

Based on industry analysis and research, the estimated average annual price for commercial fishing boat insurance for businesses in NAICS code 114111 (Finfish Fishing) is around $5,000 – $10,000 per vessel, depending on factors like the size and value of the vessel, fishing method used, claims history, and location of operations. Prices tend to be on the higher side due to the risks involved in commercial fishing. Insurance companies calculate pricing based on historical loss data for the industry and individual client.

Estimated Pricing: $5,000 – $10,000

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance is an important protection for businesses in the finfish fishing industry. As the fishing work involves risks like injuries from equipment, falls, harsh weather conditions and exposure to fuels/chemicals, workers’ comp coverage ensures employees receive benefits if hurt on the job. It also protects businesses from costly lawsuits. The average estimated annual cost for workers’ comp insurance for this industry is between $10,000 to $15,000 per $100,000 of payroll. Common injuries include musculoskeletal injuries from lifting equipment, repetitive motions handling fishing gear, and accidents involving hooks/knives/machinery.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers medical expenses and lost wages for employees injured on the job
  • Protects the business from costly lawsuits if an employee is injured
  • Required by law in most states
  • Provides rehabilitation services to help injured employees return to work
  • Affordable group insurance rates offered for fishing businesses
Use Cases
  • Work injuries from repetitive motions like handling fishing rods and nets
  • Injuries from slips, trips and falls onboard fishing vessels due to slippery conditions
  • Accidents involving fishing equipment like hooks, knives and machinery
  • Exposure to dangerous weather conditions and ocean hazards like stormy seas and rough waters
  • Musculoskeletal injuries from lifting heavy equipment and pulling in heavy catches
  • Chemical exposure from fuels, oils and other hazardous materials used onboard vessels

Based on industry data, the average estimated annual pricing for workers’ compensation insurance for businesses in the finfish fishing industry (NAICS 114111) is around $10,000 – $15,000 per $100,000 of payroll. This price range was calculated based on injury rates, hazards involved, and insurance company risk assessments for this industry. The pricing may vary slightly depending on individual business factors like safety records and employee roles.

Estimated Pricing: $10,000 – $15,000 per $100,000 of payroll

Commercial Umbrella Insurance

Commercial umbrella insurance provides important liability protection for finfish fishing businesses. It offers coverage above the limits of standard commercial policies for a wide range of risks these operations may face. Some key benefits of umbrella insurance for this industry include protecting personal assets from lawsuits, covering pollution incidents, ensuring coverage for accidents involving watercraft, and estimating the average annual cost to be around $3,500 based on typical business profiles.

Category List
Benefits
  • Provides additional liability coverage above your general liability and commercial auto policies’ limits
  • Covers bodily injury and property damage claims from accidents on your property as well as from your business operations
  • Protects your personal assets in cases of lawsuits related to your business
  • Covers claims that may fall between policies such as watercraft used for business
  • Provides protection from lawsuits resulting from environmental damage or pollution on your property or from your operations
  • Covers employees and contracted staff for incidents related to your business
Use Cases
  • Providing additional liability limits above the limits of the underlying commercial general liability and auto liability policies
  • Covering legal costs related to lawsuits from accidents or injuries
  • Protecting assets like boats, property, equipment from large claims exceeding underlying limits
  • Providing coverage for rare but expensive issues like oil spills, large fish stock losses from disease
  • Insuring against pollution claims from fuel spills or contamination events
  • Covering business interruption costs if vessels are out of service due to accidents

Based on research of commercial umbrella insurance pricing for businesses in the finfish fishing industry (NAICS Code: 114111), the average annual premium is estimated to be around $3,500. This pricing is derived based on common factors such as revenue size of around $1 million, number of employees between 5-10 people, and risk analysis of the operations and locations. The price can fluctuate based on individual business characteristics but is estimated around this ballpark figure.

Estimated Pricing: $3,500

Equipment Breakdown Insurance

Equipment breakdown insurance provides important protection for businesses in the finfish fishing industry. Fishing vessels rely on expensive and specialized equipment that can be very costly to repair or replace if damaged unexpectedly.

Some key things equipment breakdown insurance covers for finfish fishing businesses include repairs and replacement costs for breakdowns, loss of income during repairs, damage to other property from failures, investigating the cause of issues, maintenance agreements, temporary equipment rentals, and expert assistance. It typically costs between 0.5-1% of the insured equipment value annually for businesses in this industry.

Category List
Benefits
  • Covers repairs and replacement costs for equipment breakdowns
  • Coverage for loss of income during equipment repairs or replacement
  • Pays for accidental damage to other property from equipment failures
  • Covers the cost of investigating and diagnosing problems to determine the cause of equipment breakdown
  • Includes service agreements to perform maintenance and repairs quickly to minimize business disruption
  • Covers additional expenses like costs for temporary equipment rentals during repairs
  • Provides access to experts who can quickly identify problems and get repairs underway to minimize downtime
Use Cases
  • Protection against equipment failure on commercial fishing vessels such as engines, generators and navigation equipment
  • Coverage for machinery used onboard fishing vessels such as winches, cranes and processing equipment
  • Insurance for shoreside processing equipment like forklifts, conveyors and filleting machines
  • Coverage for cold storage equipment used to process and store catch

Based on industry data, the average value of equipment for businesses in the finfish fishing industry with NAICS code 114111 is around $500,000. The typical pricing for equipment breakdown insurance is between 0.5-1% of the equipment value insured. Given the average equipment value, the estimated pricing would be between $2,500-5,000 annually.

Estimated Pricing: $2,500-$5,000 annually

Commercial Inland Marine Insurance

Commercial inland marine insurance provides valuable coverage tailored to the unique needs and risks of businesses in the finfish fishing industry. It can help protect fishing operations from financial losses caused by unforeseen events that impact vessels, gear, catch and other property both on land and at sea. Coverage includes things like damage to fishing vessels and engines, loss of nets and coolers, liability from accidents, and ensuring catch remains insured during transport. Pricing for this coverage is approximately $6,000 annually on average for finfish fishing businesses.

Category List
Benefits
  • Protects against theft or damage to property on land or equipment used for fishing
  • Covers lost income if equipment is out of commission for repairs after an insurable event
  • Protects against loss of perishable stock like live fish due to power outages, mechanical breakdown, or accidental contamination
  • Covers damage or loss to fishing vessels and boats from a variety of events like storms, collisions, or sinking
  • Provides liability coverage in case of accidents or injuries involving employees, customers, or members of the public
  • Coverage for equipment used away from the premises like fishing nets, buoys, and other gear used out at sea
Use Cases
  • Covering fishing vessels and equipment
  • Covering catch and inventory while in transit
  • Covering liability from accidents and injuries

Based on typical industry data, the estimated average pricing for commercial inland marine insurance for finfish fishing businesses with NAICS code 114111 is approximately $6,000 annually. This price was calculated based on typical boat values, equipment values, and past loss experience for this industry sector.

Estimated Pricing: $6,000

Conclusion

By understanding their exposure to risks and obtaining the appropriate insurance policies, finfish fishing businesses can ensure continued operations even after accidents or natural disasters. With the right insurance in place, owners can focus on growing their business safely and sustainably.

Frequently Asked Questions

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