Fishing News Awards 2020

The Fishing News Awards presentation evening, held to celebrate excellence across the fishing industry during 2019, will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Aberdeen Treetops hotel on Thursday, 14 May, 2020

This is the only awards event dedicated to celebrating achievement, innovation and success in the commercial fishing industry, and will culminate in the announcement of the winners of the prestigious Young Fisherman of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards.

The winners of all 14 categories will be presented with their awards during the evening.

The first guests arriving at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel for the Fishing News Awards 2019.

The celebratory evening will include a drinks reception followed by a superb, locally-sourced three-course meal with wine and live entertainment.

Local representatives of the Fishermen’s Mission will again be at the event, receiving table donations in support of the invaluable, but often unseen, work this charity does across the fishing industry. The generosity of the capacity audience who attended the Fishing News Awards 2019 earlier this year raised £4,000 for the Mission.

Guests of the drinks reception sponsor Lockers Trawlers Ltd. The company said: “We were delighted to sponsor the drinks reception at this year’s Fishing News Awards. It was a great night, which paid tribute to the hard work of all those involved across the industry. Congratulations to everyone involved.”

Already confirmed as category sponsors are the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association Ltd (Lifetime Achievement Award), Sunderland Marine Insurance (Trainee Fisherman of the Year), Peterhead Port Authority (Shellfish Fisherman of the Year), the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust (Sustainability Award) and Seafish (Young Fisherman of the Year). For details on how to get involved with sponsorship, please contact Simon Hyland at Talk Media Sales on: 01732 445327.

Further details about the awards, including nomination forms, sponsorship opportunities and accommodation, are available at: fishingnews.co.uk/awards

PROCEDURE FOR NOMINATIONS

Nominations are now open for each of our award categories and can be made online at: fishingnews.co.uk/awards

All nominations need to be received by midnight, Tuesday, 11 February, 2020. Shortlists of those with the most nominations in each of the categories open to public vote will be made available when voting opens on Tuesday, 4 March, 2020. Voting will close at midnight on Friday, 17 April, 2020.

Compère Des Clarke immediately had guests rocking with laughter with a rapid-fire 20-minute slot of top-class comedy.

Nominations are also invited for Young Fisherman of the Year, Port of the Year, the Sustainability Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

However, a panel of judges drawn from the fishing industry will decide the winners of these four categories, using the evidence provided in support of the nominees.

Voting will rely on the strength of the supporting information provided at the nomination stage. Please read the criteria for the categories and give as much relevant detail as you can. This includes contact details for your nominee, as we will need to get in touch with them if they are shortlisted.

Award categories

Demersal Fisherman of the Year

To be awarded to a UK- or Ireland-based fisherman who has made a clear commitment to the demersal fishing industry in 2019. Skills, determination, leadership ability and adaptability to changes in today’s industry are all important qualities.

Pelagic Fisherman of the Year

To be awarded to a UK- or Ireland-based fisherman who has made a clear commitment to pelagic fishing in 2019. Skills, determination, leadership ability and adaptability to changes in today’s industry are all important qualities.

Shellfish Fisherman of the Year – sponsored by Peterhead Port Authority

To be awarded to a UK- or Ireland-based fisherman who has made a clear commitment to shellfish fishing in 2019. Skills, determination, leadership ability and adaptability to changes in today’s industry are all important qualities.

Independent Fresh Fish Retailer of the Year

This award recognises local UK or Irish fresh fish retailers who have shown continued support to the commercial fishing industry in their community, trading from a shop, market stall or travelling van in 2019. Nominees will demonstrate a focus on supporting locally landed fish, with a good range of species on offer, encouraging consumers to experience some varieties that are more usually exported, and others which deserve to be more popular. Please note this category is not open to national supermarket chains.

Fish Processor of the Year

This award recognises the UK or Irish fish processor that has shown outstanding support to the commercial fishing industry in 2019. In particular, we are looking for evidence of the use of industry best practice, technological innovation, and excellence of service.

The Sustainability Award – sponsored by the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust

This award recognises and rewards outstanding innovation and achievement towards improving sustainability and environmental responsibility within the UK or Irish fishing industry in 2019.

Entries are encouraged both from large-scale projects with major sustainability outcomes, and from small-scale projects that provide tangible improvements to address specific sustainability problems.

Criteria: The nominee must demonstrate a unique and innovative response to a clear and compelling environmental sustainability issue within the UK fishing industry. Applications must demonstrate that the project has gone above and beyond standard practice, and provide evidence of its impact. All nominations will be considered on their merits; however, the panel will particularly be looking for projects that have influenced a significant change in behaviour and/or that have inspired broader community awareness and/or engagement.

This category will be decided by a panel of industry judges.

Service Company of the Year

This award will recognise a UK or Ireland shore-based company that has provided outstanding service to the commercial fishing industry in 2019. Nominees could range from fueling and icing companies, to box providers, boatyards, chandleries, net-makers, auctions and vessel agents. We are looking for evidence of outstanding customer service.

Fishing Port of the Year

This award benchmarks good practice, recognising excellence in service and amenities found not only in the major ports and harbours throughout the UK and Ireland, but in every landing area, regardless of size, in 2019.

New Boat of the Year

This award celebrates innovation in the build and facilities of a new commercial fishing vessel that entered service in the UK or Irish fleets in 2019. This year the category has been split into demersal, pelagic and shellfish vessels.

Trainee Fisherman of the Year – sponsored by Sunderland Marine Insurance

This award will recognise the most outstanding new entrant to complete a commercial fishing training course in 2019.
In particular, candidates will demonstrate consistently high levels of application, commitment, co-operation, determination, understanding of the fishing industry, practical skills and safety awareness.

Young Fisherman of the Year – sponsored by Seafish

This category will reward a fisherman, under 25 years old at the end of 2019 and based in the UK or Ireland, who has made a clear commitment to the fishing industry. Skills, determination, leadership ability and adaptability to changes in today’s industry are all important qualities.

Lifetime Achievement Award – sponsored by the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association Ltd

To be awarded to an individual who throughout their career has been a true champion of UK or Irish commercial fishing.