The first two international crew armed with skilled worker visas arrived for work on Northern Ireland vessels last week, after a series of initiatives by the Northern Ireland FPO (NIFPO). Lawrance Prince has restarted work this week aboard the Golden…
NFFO Chief Executive Mike Cohen met Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper, Baroness Vere, the ministers charged with oversight of the MCA, the ministers’ political advisors and MCA staff last Thursday, in a long-planned, and much postponed, meeting, which…
The MCA and the UK Harbour Masters Association both confirmed last week that harbour masters will no longer be asked to provide written confirmation that in their opinion fishermen are fit enough to meet the requirements of the ML5 medical…
Specialist in firefighting and lifesaving equipment Marine Fire Safety (Scotland) Ltd has relocated to a new MCA-approved service station. The business says the move to the 1,300ft2 facility follows a ‘very successful 18 months’ since its launch in Scotland in…
Another deliberate attempt by a foreign vessel fishing close to Shetland to ram or disable a local vessel has seen renewed calls by the industry for robust support from the UK authorities over such incidents. The latest encounter took place…
Winklepicker, merchant, marketeer, processor, auctioneer, chef, restauranteur, podcast host – but despite his earliest aspirations, one of the few roles industry pioneer Jim Cowie hasn’t undertaken is actual fishing. “I had no other interest than being a fisherman,” he told…
Andrew Pascoe, chairman of the South West Handline Fishermen’s Association, doesn’t hold one of this year’s 10 tuna licences for his own vessel, but was one of several members who attended training ahead of the season on all aspects of…
It is said that from small acorns big oaks grow. Nothing could be truer of the Plymouth City Council (PCC) PFD and personal locater beacon (PLB) scheme rolled out by Councillor Tudor Evans OBE. Looe RNLI coxswain and fishermen’s safety…
The 46th NFFO AGM, possibly the last before an election in 2024, was held in the historic Watermen’s Hall in the City of London last Wednesday afternoon, after a National Executive Committee meeting held earlier in the day. MPs from…
Frustrations are mounting in both the catching and processing sectors in Lymouth as the long-planned work on the lock gates at the entrance to Sutton Harbour continues, with no sign of the promised mitigations and compensation that were agreed in…
