Fishing in Moray and around the UK: Coastguard to carry out spot checks on fishing vessels

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency says it will be carrying out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels across the UK.

The inspections are being carried out as part of ongoing work around fishing vessel safety in an industry recognised to be one of the most dangerous in the world.

Since November 2020, there have been eight deaths – more than 10% of the total for the previous decade when 60 fatalities were reported from UK fishing vessels.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency says it has worked solidly with the fishing industry, reinforcing the messages about safety standards for crew and vessels.

Tony Heslop, assistant director of survey and inspection said: "While education is important and we will continue to do that, enforcement is also needed for those who consistently ignore our message, to emphasise why this matters and why we take it seriously."

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