Following a programme in Northern Ireland which has seen over 500 fishermen receive free Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs), Seafish has developed the educational film to show how to use and maintain the device which has been developed especially for the fishing industry.
The film, which is available on Seafish’s YouTube channel, also documents the story of fisherman Samuel Cully from Portavogie, Co. Down who received a PFD thanks to the initiative. Less than a month later, he was rescued by the RNLI after spending almost an hour in the water after his vessel sank on a particularly bad day.
Lynn Gilmore at Seafish said: “It was important to create a resource which fishermen can access to ensure they are taking all the right precautions to stay safe at sea.
“Samuel’s story shows how crucially important it is to wear a PFD while at sea. It’s clear to see that PFDs and lifejackets save lives but it’s essential that more fishermen are aware of how to use them properly. Promoting safety at sea is a key priority for Seafish and we are committed to increasing fisherman’s access to training and information which could help save their lives at sea.”
The project to distribute free PFDs and training to fishermen across Northern Ireland was made possible by a joint initiative between the Fishermen’s Mission, Seafish, DARD (Department for Agriculture and Rural Development) through the European Fisheries Fund, the Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation (NIFPO), the RNLI, the MCA and Asda.
To learn more about the campaign to encourage the use of PFDs at sea, and to hear Sam’s story of survival, check out the video at: http://youtu.be/VC0cTA2-vOg or for more information on the project contact Lynn Gilmore.
