A vessel is shooting gear in deteriorating weather, and the skipper is under pressure to complete the tow before conditions worsen further. What should govern the decision to continue or abort?

A. The decision should be made solely by majority vote among the crew, regardless of the skipper's assessment

B. The value of the expected catch should be the primary factor in the decision

C. A genuine, ongoing assessment of whether the vessel and crew can safely handle the gear and conditions together — commercial pressure to complete the tow must not override a judgement that conditions have become unsafe for gear handling or vessel stability

D. Once gear has been shot, the tow must always be completed regardless of how conditions change

A. Falls down an internal companionway stairway

B. A crew member working alone or unsupervised on an open, exposed deck while handling gear, often without a properly worn personal flotation device (PFD), with no one immediately aware they have gone over the side

C. Falls during routine vessel maintenance in port

D. Falls while boarding the vessel from the quay

A. Entanglement is a purely theoretical risk with no real-world basis in fishing vessel incidents

B. This hazard is limited only to trawling vessels and does not apply to pot/static gear vessels

C. Entanglement risk is minimal because modern winches have automatic emergency stops that always activate in time

D. Warps and gear-handling machinery operate under very high tension and can apply enormous, near-instantaneous force, capable of causing traumatic injury, dragging a person overboard, or pulling them into machinery before they can react