THE death toll in Britain's fishing industry has fallen to its lowest level for seven years, it was revealed yesterday.
But the head of the government's marine safety watchdog claimed almost every one of the eight deaths – half of them in Scotland – could have been prevented.
Stephen Meyer said the deaths of three foreign fishermen in a fire on board a trawler at a
Scottish harbour had brought into sharp focus a new hazard facing the industry – fishermen sleeping in port on board vessels that lack even the most basic safety systems. .
His uncompromising warning is made in his foreword to a new fishing safety report, published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) to coincide with the industry's annual exhibition and conference which begins in Glasgow today.
The report reveals that a total of eight fishermen were killed at sea in 2008 – the lowest number of deaths since eight fishermen lost their lives seven years ago. There were 16 deaths in 2006 and ten in 2007, while 32 lost their lives back in 2000.
Mr Meyer, the MAIB's chief inspector, states: "You don't need me to tell you how dangerous fishing can be. However, the usual justification – 'It is a dangerous industry, and the sea is an unforgiving environment' – is no longer valid.
"Almost none of the recent deaths and fishing vessel losses were unavoidable. Few were as a result of vessels being overwhelmed by the sea. Awareness of the risks, safe practices, good maintenance, sensible safety equipment and trained crews would have prevented nearly all recent accidents."
He goes on: "It is telling that accidents often happen to the most experienced fishermen. When you are new to a job, you are very aware of the risks, and you are cautious in everything hat you do. When you have done something for a thousand times without problems, you have lost that sense of danger, and no longer take the same precautions.
"When we talk to fishermen after accidents, particularly when a fellow fisherman has died, they nearly always have identified what they could have done more safely, and berate themselves for not having some simple safety measures."
Mr Meyer then turns to the year's biggest tragedy: the deaths of two Filipino fishermen and a Latvian crewman last August in a blaze on board the 90ft prawn trawler Vision II while it was tied up at Fraserburgh harbour.
The deaths sparked claims by the International Transport Workers' Federation that "unscrupulous" Scottish skippers were exploiting and abusing migrant workers because of a shortage of local crews – accusations angrily denied by Scottish fishing industry leaders.
Mr Meyer states: "The tragic loss of three crew in a fire onboard Vision II brought into focus a new hazard developing in the fishing industry. With the advent of more fishermen from overseas, more crew are sleeping onboard their vessel in their home port. Many vessels are not suited to this, lacking even the most basic safety requirements."
In a message to skippers, he says: "If you are going to have crew members living on board, please think through the dangers and put in place appropriate safety measures."
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation,
said: "Every death is a tragedy and no effort will be spared in avoiding future tragedies and working on safety in a continuous and consistent way.
The decline in deaths is, of course, a welcome movement in the right direction, but we won't get complacent."
CREWS FACE EU DEMAND FOR 25% CUT TO QUOTASSCOTTISH fishermen are facing demands from the European Commission for a Draconian 25 per cent cut for some of their mainstay catches next year.
Joe Borg, the European Fisheries Commissioner, has called for total allowable catches for fragile stocks, such as cod, to be slashed in 2010.
He has warned that with more than 80 per cent of EU fish stocks overfished, quotas must be set in line with the level of fishing mortality.
Mr Borg is also recommending that for stocks with a low level of biomass, catches should be reduced by up to 20 per cent while catches for those stocks which have recovered beyond the level allowing the highest yield to be taken could be increased by 25 per cent.
Mr Borg said: "The situation created by overfishing is serious, but multi-annual management plans are working, and some stocks are showing signs of recovery.
"I am committed to a sound approach to fisheries, based on long-term planning, scientific advice and dialogue with the sector."
The Commission's report on the proposals states: "While there are examples of EU fleets that are profitable, the majority are either running losses or returning low profits. This overall poor performance demonstrates a situation of chronic overcapacity of which overfishing is both a cause and a consequence."
Bertie Armstrong, the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said: "We are set for another year of tough negotiations with a particularly unhelpful set of proposals.
"This document offers an overly gloomy view and doesn't bear any reflection on the situation in Scotland where fishermen have been at the forefront of increasing the sustainability of their operations."
