Seafish has welcomed a group of maritime organisations’ combined £60,000 pledge in additional funding to provide 500 aquaculture and inland fisheries workers in Northern Ireland with free Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)

The funding has been pledged by Seafish, Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) through the European Fisheries Fund. A wide range of organisations including the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-op, the Fishermen’s Mission, the Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative (CBAIT), have also contributed.

Lough Neagh Rescue, RNLI, Loughs Agency and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will assist in the delivery of PFDs with associated safety training to inshore fishermen and aquaculture workers throughout Northern Ireland.

Fishing is the most dangerous peacetime profession in Britain, with 25% of fishermen in the UK claiming they have had an incident at sea which put their life at risk, according to Seafish research.

By wearing a PFD fishermen not only increase their chances of surviving if they go overboard, but should the worst happen it also increase the chances of a body being recovered. Without a body, families cannot register a death for seven years, close a bank account or settle life insurance or wills.

Working in partnership with the fishermen’s associations, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, RNLI and the Fishermen’s Mission, Seafish is backing a Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG) initiative to promote the wearing of PFDs by fishermen.

FISG aims to ensure that every commercial fisherman in the UK is provided with a PFD. So far, around 7,000 fishermen in Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of England and Wales have benefitted from the initiative, with rollout to the remaining fishermen expected throughout 2014 and 2015.

Lynn Gilmore, project manager for Seafish in Northern Ireland, said: “Seafish’s purpose is to help secure a sustainable and profitable future for the UK fishing industry. Fishermen are on the front line of this industry and their safety is fundamental to this.

“These recent funding pledges will be instrumental in our goal of ensuring that every commercial fisherman in the UK owns, and more importantly uses, a PFD.”

Before receiving their free PFDs, Seafish requires fishermen to attend a short safety briefing on how the devices should be worn, checked and maintained. Events will take place nationwide over the next few months. In the meantime fishermen should register their interest with Seafish in receiving a PFD by completing an application form. Details can be found on the Seafish website.