Fishers skip lifejackets

Thousands of Scottish fishermen have failed to claim free lifejackets made available under a scheme aimed at saving lives.

Last year, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) secured Scottish Government funding to buy lightweight lifejackets for all 5,000 trawler men across the country.

The new personal flotation devices (PFDs) were tailor-made for the industry, addressing concerns that old-style jackets were too bulky for work.

However, to date only about 1,000 jackets of the new design have been distributed, leaving 4,000 available with SFF urging people who are eligible to receive them to apply.

SFF safety officer Derek Cardno said: “Our fishermen have an incredibly challenging and often dangerous job in putting the seafood on our plates, and every year a number of

“These flotation devices can offer fishermen a second chance”

men will fall into the sea. In such situations, these personal flotation devices can offer fishermen a second chance, if worn. We are particularly pleased at the high proportion of fishermen who have received a free PFD who have also opted for free instruction on their use. As well as the important practical aspect, we have found that this has helped to stimulate conversations amongst fishing crews on safety at sea. “Despite the good level of uptake so far, there are still many fishermen who haven’t yet registered their interest for a free PFD and we are urging those who haven’t yet done so to make an application.”

The scheme is supported by Marine Scotland, RNLI, the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and marine equipment specialist Ocean Safety. It is funded by the European Fisheries Fund, Scottish Fishermen’s Trust and the UK Fisheries Offshore Oil and Gas Legacy Trust Fund.