Marine casualties of small fishing vessels (SFV) of less than 20 tons are frequent in Korea. The analysis was conducted to identify the cause and then prepared reduction plan using the marine casualty statistics of fishing vessels for the last five years from 2012 to 2016 by the Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal to reduce the marine casualties of SFV. According to the analysis of the type of whole vessels occurring marine casualty, fishing vessels accounted for an average 68.0 %; moreover, except for 2014 when M/V SEWOL ferry capsizing occurred, the rate of death and missing due to marine casualties occurred from 68.3 % to 91.2 % in fishing vessels, and an average 79.5 % was found to be urgent need of a measure. Marine casualties occurrence depending on the gross tonnage of fishing vessel was found that the most occurred at less than 5 tons, followed by the order of 5 to 10 tons or less. However, crews who boarded on SFV do not have any training program for them, except for the fishing safety training of fisher who carry out fishing for shipowners and crew of the coastal and offshore fishing vessel in accordance with the safety regulations for fishing vessels in the Fisheries Cooperative Association. Therefore, it is necessary to revise the training program so as to improve the preventive action and then emergency response including the fishing safety compliance with each fishery, safe navigation, machinery inspection and emergency response. Also, an SFV of less than 5 tons of 56,000 vessels is boarded by unqualified fishers. It would also be possible to consider subdividing small boat operator’s certificate to enhance their qualifications. It is expected that marine casualties of SFV will be reduced if active efforts are made to improve the safety consciousness of fisher and shipowners as well as the reorganization of fishing safety training and the small boat operator’s certificate system.