Fishing News Awards 2025: Only two more weeks to make your nominations!
22nd January 2025
The deadline for nominations for the 2025 Fishing News Awards is fast approaching – and we need your local knowledge to ensure that every area around the coast is well represented at this year’s awards!
The only awards event dedicated to recognising achievement, innovation and success in the UK and Irish commercial fishing industry, the Fishing News Awards will make awards in 12 categories this year.
The winners will be revealed at our gala awards evening on 7 May. Featuring a bespoke three-course seafood meal and entertainment from top comedian Ed Byrne, this will again take place at the prestigious Chester Hotel in Aberdeen.
If there’s an inspirational skipper or outstanding new recruit working from your port, or a service provider, initiative or innovation that you feel has raised the bar over the past year, put their name forward and let us know why they deserve recognition in this year’s awards.
We’re also in need of inside information on the best chippies that champion UK- or Irish- caught fish for this year’s new Fish and Chip Shop Award.
All nominations need to be received by midnight on Monday,
10 February. Shortlists will then be drawn up before voting opens for eight of the categories: Over 10m Fisherman of the Year, Under 10m Fisherman of the Year, Young Fisherman of the Year, Trainee Fisherman of the
Year, Service Provider of the Year, Initiative of the Year, Technical Innovation of the Year and Fish and Chip Shop of the Year.
A panel of judges from the fishing industry will decide the winners of the remaining four
categories: Over 15m Boat of the Year, Under 15m Boat of the Year, the Sustainability Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
To put forward your nominations, click here.
Catch up with last year’s winners
Hans Unkles: 2024 Sustainability Award
Hans Unkles, winner of the 2024 Sustainability Award, being presented with his trophy by Karen Atwood of category sponsor Marine Stewardship Council, with last year’s host Fred MacAulay looking on.
“It’s a prestigious award within the whole fishing industry,” Hans Unkles, winner of the 2024 Sustainability Award, told Fishing News. “And I was really proud to have got that.”
Hans was nominated for his three-year effort to convert his vessel Lorna Jane CN 73 to become the UK’s first solar-powered creeler, along with his wider commitment to sustainability.
“From the point of getting nominated, it’s all quite exciting – and pretending you’re not interested in the result, but when that result comes in, you’re really chuffed! I felt the project was worthy of winning – so I was proud and relieved that it had been recognised.
“I’ve received a lot of
recognition from the award. I’ve ended up doing podcasts and a fair bit of other publicity work off the back of it.”
For Hans, who is currently recovering from knee replacement surgery, the year ahead looks even busier than the last. “The boat has been out of the water since October. I’m planning to launch it again by the end of this month.
“As yet, nobody has followed in my footsteps in converting a vessel – but we’re hoping to improve that with a talk we’re taking to various fishing ports around the country where we’ll discuss the pros and cons – the things that work and the things that don’t when it comes to electric.
“I also plan to fish the boat quite hard this summer.”
Fishing Animateur: 2024 Service Provider of the Year
Heather Emberson-Marl, Abbey Crosby, Ruby Wilson and Lowena Poole of Fishing Animateur after picking up their Service Provider of the Year trophy.
Cornwall-based Fishing Animateur was crowned 2024 Service Provider of the Year for its work in helping fishermen in the under-12m fleet identify and apply for funding. The team’s Abbey Crosby, Ruby Wilson,
Lowena Poole and Heather Emberson-Marl travelled the long distance from Newlyn to Aberdeen for the Fishing News Awards ceremony.
“The awards were a great opportunity to be recognised by the industry and all the fishermen and women that the project has guided and supported,” Lowena Poole, senior fishing animateur, told FN.
“The real reward has been helping those who find the paperwork and systems to be very far removed from their day job – and that our help has enabled change for the better in their businesses.”
The service, funded by The Seafarers’ Charity, The Fishmongers’ Company and Trinity House, continues to go from strength to strength, and has taken on two new team members, Ellie Matthew, who will lead on science projects, and Amelia Snelson to provide office support. Following the announcement by the Welsh government of a further £1.4m in funding to support the marine, fisheries and aquaculture sector in Wales, Fishing Animateur is now also offering free application support through its Welsh Fisheries Animateur pilot project. The service is also continuing to support projects applying for funding via the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme and the UK Seafood Fund before the March deadline.
For more information email: info@fishinganimateur.co.uk or call: 01736 362782.
This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.50 here.
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