SOUTH East Cornwall MP Sheryll Murray is supporting a new safety campaign launched by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The aim is to reduce the number of commercial fishermen killed or injured at sea because of accidents with deck machinery.
Mrs Murray’s late husband Neil, a Looe fisherman, lost his life in 2011 after a toggle from his oilskin jacket became caught in deck machinery.
The RNLI is encouraging skippers and vessel owners to apply for funding through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to help replace older, more dangerous deck machinery on their boats, as well as urging fishermen to take extra care on deck – with a new safety video being released in partnership with Seafish.
Mrs Murray, who is chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Fisheries Group, said: ‘My husband was a commercial fisherman for over 25 years. If his boat had had an emergency stop button in a better location on the deck, it could have saved his life.
‘I don’t want to see other fishermen’s children suffer like my children have. That’s why I’m supporting this campaign and encouraging fishermen to take action to make sure their vessels are as safe as possible.’