The first fishermen in the UK have recently achieved a new Seafish skipper’s ticket for vessels less than 16.5 metres.
The group from the Yorkshire coast were trained by instructor Len Jensen on courses run by the Yorkshire & Humber Fishermen's Training Association (Y&HFTA).
Keir Day, Seafish Training and Accreditation Adviser, presented the successful fishermen with a hand-held VHF radio each, in recognition of their achievement.
Similarly, the first fishermen to achieve this ticket in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also receive recognition for their efforts.
In order to achieve the skipper’s ticket, fishermen must hold the four mandatory safety certificates (Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, First Aid and Safety Awareness) and then complete either a two- or five-day navigation course, a two-day engineering course, a one-day stability awareness course and a one-day GMDSS Short Range Certificate (radio operator course). These courses and the skipper’s ticket are endorsed by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.
The first fishermen to achieve the ticket in Scotland followed close on the heels of the Yorkshire coast group, with eight men completing the requirements in Stornoway.
To date, the skipper’s ticket has been funded by support drawn down by Seafish from FIFG and the Fisheries Departments. With the ending of this support, Seafish is currently exploring other avenues to continue funding.
The uptake of the qualification amongst skippers has been very encouraging with training associations around the country running courses and hundreds of fishermen working towards their skipper’s tickets.
Simon Potten, Seafish Training and Accreditation Manager said: “Training for skippers of vessels less than 16.5m has long been overlooked. However, 88% of the fleet now falls within this category. We believe that every skipper of every vessel should be trained to operate it safely. This new skipper’s ticket is a very positive step towards improving fishermen's safety and has been developed in collaboration with industry federations and the MCA.
“I am very pleased with the way the courses have turned out and the fact that all the feedback we have received from attendees has been positive."
This voluntary qualification is expected to become mandatory in the next few years for new skippers entering the industry.
