The message is getting through

We will all be delighted and hugely relieved that the fishing industry has not had a single fatality in the past year.

Experts believe it is the first time that this has been achieved in the past quarter of a century, which gives a clear indication of what an extraordinary step forward this is for the industry. Sea fishing is quite possibly the most dangerous job in British industry, with the threat of sudden death lurking in all directions for the entire journey.

Try to imagine working in that environment and under such threat for 24 hours a day, and often in horrendous sea conditions.

However, the human body and mind can adapt to the most shocking risks and pressures and, perhaps, become complacent or even blase about the danger. Hence the number of fishing accidents that have been attributed in official reports to human error or failure to follow basic safety rules.

Crews have been battered constantly with waves of safety warnings from industry leaders and watchdogs, and it looks like the message is getting through at last. Long may it continue because too many families have suffered untold grief.