Four isles winners in Fishing News Awards

Jim Tait May 26, 2017 0

There were four Shetland winners in the Fishing News Awards, held in Aberdeen last night to coincide with the first day of the Aberdeen Skipper Expo exhibition.

Lowrie Irvine in the skipper’s chair of the Antares. Photo: Peter Johnson

The new Resilient steams towards her home port of Symbister. Photo: Ivan Reid

The Pelagic Fisherman of the Year award went to skipper Lowrie Irvine of the Antares (LK419) and the New Boat of the Year award went to the Resilient (LK195).

Scalloway featured in two categories. The NAFC Marine Centre was joint winner of the “Contribution to Safety” award while Scalloway Harbour was highly commended in the Fishing Port of the Year category (won by Brixham).

NAFC industry liaison officer Caroline Hepburn and fishing course lecturer Leslie Tait collected their award, which was shared with the RNLI’s fishing safety team – from impressionist Rory Bremner, the event host.

Since it opened the NAFC Marine Centre has delivered safety training courses to hundreds of fishermen (and other maritime workers), including sea survival, first aid, safety awareness and fire fighting courses.

The NAFC Marine Centre at Scalloway. Photo: Kenneth Shearer

Centre principal Willie Shannon welcomed the award, saying: “It recognises the hard work of the centre’s staff over many years and the importance of NAFC to Shetland’s fishing and maritime industries in ensuring that local fishermen, and others working at sea, are able to undertake essential safety training in the islands.”