Seafish responds to MAIB Trilogy Report
UK seafood authority Seafish has responded to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) Trilogy Report.
The MAIB Trilogy Report, which investigated the loss of three fishermen’s lives from incidents involving the vessels Korenbloem, Osprey III and Optik, calls for an urgent, properly funded plan of action to improve fishing safety.
Seafish has welcomed this recommendation. Simon Potten, Seafish training and accreditation manager, said: “We are already working closely with industry, the Department for Transport (DfT), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the MAIB and others to improve fishing safety.
“The DfT has provided £850,000 (€991,926/$1.2 million) over the last three years for us to deliver a programme of voluntary training for fishermen. So far, over 1,600 mainly inshore fishermen have received training in navigation, engineering, stability and radio operation.
“We have also been able to award grants of up to £1,000 (€1,167/$1,437) to 65 fishermen studying for Fishing Vessel Certificates of Competency. Furthermore, we have recently been able to use our combined resources to lever an additional £780,000 (€910,396/$1.1 million) of funding from the European Fisheries Fund.”
Seafish said formal training not only increases fishermen’s knowledge, understanding and awareness, but the certificates they receive are transferable, enabling them to diversify into other activities to help supplement their income during quiet fishing times.
However, training alone is not enough, added the authority. More must be done to improve vessel safety and to develop and introduce safer working practices, such as the wearing of personal flotation devices while working on open decks and the fitting of personal locator beacons, such as the RNLI’s MOB-Guardian.
If a properly funded plan of action can be secured involving all relevant agencies and organisations involved in fishing safety, it will provide an excellent opportunity to make a real and lasting difference to the industry, it said.
