Access to skilled labour continues to be the leading employment challenge facing the UK fishing fleet, according to a new report by Seafish.
The ’2024 Employment in the UK Fishing Fleet’ report, based on data collected during Seafish’s annual fleet survey in summer 2023, reveals that fewer than 25% of skippers and vessel owners rated access to skilled crew as ‘good’ or ‘very good’, while nearly half described it as ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’.
“Access to skilled labour is an ongoing issue for the commercial fishing sector,” said Neil McAleese, Seafish’s head of industry workforce issues.
“The shortage has serious implications not just for individual businesses but for the wider economy.”
The shortage is especially acute among larger vessels such as scallop dredgers and trawlers over 10m, which typically require more crew. Operators say the lack of skilled workers is reducing fishing activity and limiting days at sea.
One significant factor highlighted is the ageing workforce. The average age of workers in the sector is now 44 – up from 40 in 2021. In England, the highest proportion of workers over 60 was recorded, particularly on smaller, static vessels.
Other key challenges include competition from offshore wind and aquaculture industries, difficulty attracting local crew and recent changes to the visa system, which have complicated the recruitment of overseas workers.
The report aims to inform policy and industry planning and offers comprehensive data on workforce demographics, employment conditions, and recruitment barriers across the UK catching sector.
“We are working with industry and government to tackle these challenges, including through training initiatives such as apprenticeships and the Diploma in Sea Fishing,” concluded McAleese.
