Scottish fishing industry welcome funding for vital life saving training
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The drive to make Scotland’s fishing industry safer has had a welcome boost thanks to funding announced by the Scottish Government today (Friday).
Seafish has secured £140,000 to continue providing free vital safety-related training to anyone working on commercial fishing vessels in Scotland.
Seafish, the public body supporting the seafood sector in the UK, used match funding provided by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency to apply for funding from the new Marine Fund Scotland. A total of £280,000 is now available for spending until 31 March 2022.
This means the organisation now has funding in place to subsidise training for fishermen across the whole of the UK. Training is a key part of Seafish’s work to help make the fishing industry safer.
Welcoming the news, Simon Potten, head of safety and training at Seafish, is encouraging those who work on fishing vessels in Scotland to start thinking about what training they might need.
He said: “This funding has to be used by March 31, 2022, or it will be lost. Any training will need to have been completed by then so please get your applications in ASAP and get training courses booked.
“With training providers still getting back to normal after the pandemic and many operating with reduced class sizes, training places are at a premium. Apply for funding and book early to avoid disappointment.”
Derek Cardno, safety and training officer at the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, commented: “This is great news for fishermen across Scotland. The funding will encourage more fishermen to do any safety training that they feel is vital to help keep them and their fellow crew members safe.
"It will also help career-minded fishermen to gain the qualifications they need to become the skippers, mates and engineers that the Scottish fishing industry needs.”
Mr Cardno, who is also co-chair of the Scottish Fishing Safety Group (SFSG), expressed his appreciation to Seafish for submitting the application on behalf of the Scottish fishing industry.
He added: “Fishermen’s training is at the core of SFSG vision for fishing safety and securing this for Scottish fishermen will make a huge difference as we strive to see zero deaths in the Scottish fishing industry happen, annually.
"The group over the last 12 months have had lots of input into securing this funding for all fishermen in Scotland and we are thankful to the Scottish Government for their support.”
Commercial fishermen with experience and new entrants who want to work in the fishing industry are eligible for funding. The training must be formally recognised and delivered by a training provider approved by either Seafish, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency or the Royal Yachting Association.
All funding should be applied for and approved before doing the training. To apply for funding, download an application form on the Seafish website. The full web address is www.seafish.org/safety-and-training/seagoing-training/funding-for-safety-training
Funding applications can also be made through any of the Seafish Approved Training Providers. A full list is on the Seafish website.
In addition, the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) will receive £80,000 through MFS to provide around 100 defibrillators to its members.
The awards, announced during Maritime Safety Week, are some of the first to be made through MFS, a one-year fund aimed at investing in marine industries, seafood sector and the marine environment.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “This funding underlines our commitment to investing in the marine sectors and supporting local economies and coastal communities.
“This funding will help to deliver vital fishing safety training to our fishing fleet, while the provision of defibrillators will provide crucial assistance while at sea.
“In the case of sudden cardiac arrest, we know the sooner a defibrillator can be deployed the better the survival chances.
“These units are easy to use and the supplier will provide training courses and service the equipment.
“This funding supports the work of the Scottish Fishing Safety Group which aims to improve health, safety and wellbeing on vessels and reduce accidents across the whole industry.
“The initiative also ties in with our Future Fisheries Management Strategy which sets out our ambitions to promote fishing as an attractive and safe career of choice.”
