Safety training for fishermen made compulsory

Basic safety training and the compulsory wearing of personal flotation devices (lifejackets) for fisherman will soon be the law, it was announced today.

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Frank Fahey, has signed regulations requiring fishermen to wear lifejackets while working on deck from March 1 onwards.

"I am confident that the fishing community will welcome both the new training and safety initiatives and will view them as a valuable contribution to reducing the number of all too frequent tragic accidents," said the Minister.

Irish Coast Guard statistics for the past two years show that 300-400 fishing vessels required assistance each year. On these figures, Mr Fahey said that "many more lives could be saved if all fishermen observed proper safety procedures and wore personal flotation devices while on deck".

The new regulations will require every crew member of an Irish registered fishing vessel to undertake minimum safety training, which will be provided by Bord Iascaigh Mhara. The training will consist of three one-day modules covering such areas as personal survival, first aid and fire prevention.

It is estimated that 4000 crewmembers will get the basic training, with priority in the first year being given to new entrants and those in the 15-20 year age group. All new entrants will be required to undertake the training before going to sea for the first time.