SEAFISH APPOINTS A FISHING SAFETY OFFICER FOR WALES

The public body that supports the £10bn UK seafood industry, Seafish appoints a Fishing Safety Officer to work with the Welsh fishing fleet.

Lee Haigh is the new Seafish Wales Fishing Safety Project Officer, and will work with the Welsh Fishing Safety Committee (WFSC) to deliver a two-year ‘Wales Fishing Safety Awareness’ project to increase commercial fishermen’s awareness of key health and safety issues and improve the safety culture of the Welsh fishing fleet. The overarching aim of the project is to contribute to and support the WFSC’s target of zero preventable fishing-related deaths in Wales.

Seafish’s’ latest recruit in Wales has worked in the industry as a fisherman before and spent 26 years working with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency where he maintained strong links with the fishing industry carrying out safety inspections for the under 15m fleet.

Lee said: “It gives me the opportunity to use my experience of commercial fishing industry, maritime safety, and search and rescue to good use with a view to helping Welsh fishermen’s lives becoming safer.

“It really was the pot of gold at the end of my rainbow and I was delighted to accept the role when it was offered to me.”

Dr Holly Whiteley, Seafish Wales manager added: “One of our key work areas in Wales is to improve fishing industry safety by working collaboratively with the Welsh Fishing Safety Committee, the fleet and other partners’.

“Having Lee on board in this role is vital. It strengthens Seafish’s collaborative links and partnership with the Welsh fishing fleet, helping us all make fishing a safer industry to work in.”

The part time role and ‘Wales Fishing Safety Awareness’ project has received funding through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, which is funded by the European Union and the Welsh Government.