An Angus safety expert has strongly encouraged fishermen to wear a life jacket at sea following a series of tragedies.
Dave White, the RNLI’s community safety volunteer in Arbroath, said a personal floatation device would reduce preventable accidents.
He was speaking after the Marine Accidents Investigation Branch recommended that the wearing of life jackets be made compulsory on commercial fishing vessels.
The MAIB took the unusual step of recommending legislation as it released reports into four of the nine commercial fishing deaths so far this year.
Mr White said: “The RNLI Fishing Safety Team is working with partners around the UK and Ireland to encourage fishermen to wear Personal Floatation Devices (PFD) on the open deck of fishing vessels, no matter what are the sea conditions on the day, with the aim of reducing preventable accidents in the fishing industry.
“The waters around the UK and Ireland are unpredictable and cold. In the event of a fisherman entering the water through accidental emersion, or abandoning the vessel, floatation is vital to their survival.
“Free PFD’s are being made available to all fishermen, backed up with training in their use, wear, and maintenance.”
Those who have died this year include father and son Gareth and Daniel Willington, whose boat Harvester grounded on rocks off Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, in April.
In the same month Craig Reid fell from the stern of a fishing vessel called Apollo as its trawl net was being hauled in heavy seas north-west of Orkney.
In October 2015 Gerard Gillies was lost overboard from the Annie T in the Sound of Mingulay, at the southern edge of the Western Isles of Scotland.
Arbroath was touched by a similar tragedy back in 2009 when creel fisherman Raymond Davidson perished near the Bell Rock Lighthouse.
The 57-year-old had been on the fishing boat Optik and died due to his left leg becoming entangled in a rope from creels that had been shot from the stern, dragging him into the sea.
An inquiry at Forfar Sheriff Court determined his life could have been saved if he had been wearing a life jacket or carrying a knife.
Between 2010 and 2014 there were 54 deaths among commercial fishermen in the UK and RoI.
The RNLI said that all fishermen in the under-15 metre commercial fishing fleet, particularly those who don’t wear a life jacket when appropriate, are at risk.
An increasing number of incidents on fishing vessels involve deck machinery.
The RNLI wants to encourage fishermen to consider applying for European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) funding to improve the safety of their vessels.
