A COMPELLING new film shines a light on the UK fishermen who have kept food on plates through the Covid pandemic – and urges them to do what they can to get back to port safely.
’Home and Dry’, led by The Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG), highlights a day at sea and the simple steps a skipper and his crew take every day to ensure they return home safely to their loved ones.
It’s part of a wider safety campaign that comes as many fishing crews across the UK are returning to sea following weeks of lockdown and challenging market conditions to sell their catch.
Created with support from the fishing industry, the cinematic film has original music by Johnny Flynn.
Dave Driver, a Brixham skipper featured in the campaign, says: ’I’ve been a fisherman for most of my life, and as a vessel owner I am constantly thinking about my safety and the safety of my crew. ’For me, wearing a lifejacket everyday was hard, but as time went on I got used to it and now it’s the same as putting my seatbelt on before starting the car.’
In the UK, commercial fishing supports around 12,000 workers on board vessels, with an estimated 6,147 fishing vessels fishing out of ports up and down the country. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its 2019 data which showed six fishermen died last year. ’While this number appears low, given the small numbers of professional fishermen it represents, it is a very high fatality rate compared to other UK industries,’ said a Fishing Industry Safety Group spokesperson.
’There have been no deaths in 2020 so far, a trend the industry wants to maintain.’
The film ’Home and Dry’ conveys the reality of the risks involved and encourages skippers and crew to do everything they can to reduce these risks and stay safe.
’I lost a very good friend at sea once, they never found his body,’ said Dave.
’Watching his Mum go through that was really hard. I never want my family or the family of my crew to ever experience pain like that.’
Cornish skipper Luke also took part in the making of the film. He said: ’We go to sea to earn money to provide for our families.
’You find yourself thinking, ‘what will happen if I go overboard?’ It’s the family who will suffer if I’m lost at sea. That’s why it’s so important to take all the precautions you can – and get back, home and dry.’
The film highights a recent new law for commercial fishing safety, which includes the requirement for anyone working on a fishing vessel to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) whilst on deck - unless a risk assessment excludes the need to wear one.
The campaign also encourages those who are not able to go fishing right now due to the impact of COVID-19 to take the time to make simple safety checks.
The campaign website is www.homeanddry.uk and the film can be found on Vimeo and via the FISG social media.