Danger is the big catch

The Government's answer yesterday was to introduce new regulations. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, a former merchant seaman, announced that vessels of up to 12 metres in length would now be subject to regular inspections. However, industry representatives said piling more regulations on top of fishermen already overburdened with bureaucracy was only adding to their problems, and potentially creating more dangers for them.

The 29 fishermen who lost their lives died in 18 separate incidents. The sea's heavy toll last year included the loss of eight men when the Westhaven and Sapphire boats sank.

Arbroath was plunged into mourning in March 1997 after the four crew of the Westhaven died when the vessel sank near the Claymore and Piper fields 100 miles north-east of Aberdeen.

Skipper George Pattison, 38, first mate Mark Hannah, 30, and crewmen Chris Prouse, 23, and Alan Cunningham, 28, were later cleared of any blame for the tragedy by a Fatal Accident Inquiry, which heard that one of the ship's trawl doors snagged on an underwater pipeline, dragging the vessel down.

In October, the Peterhead-registered trawler Sapphire was overwhelmed by a freak wave 12 miles from its home port. Skipper Victor Robertson, 27, escaped through the wheelhouse window and was the sole survivor. The bodies of Bruce Cameron, 32, Victor Podlesny, 45, Adam Stephen, 29, and Robert Stephen, 25, were recovered by salvage experts 11 weeks later. Preliminary accident investigations suggested open hatches contributed to the tragedy.

Stewart Groat, 38, of Cestrain, Papa Westray, drowned off Orkney in October 1997 after setting out alone in his 25ft creel boat, the Damari.

In September, George Spence, 36, skipper of the converted stern trawler Flamborough Light drowned when he was pulled overboard by a rope ring

on the vessel's first whelk fishing trip

near Arran.

In May last year, 20-year-old Neil Wood, of Portknockie, Banffshire, was washed overboard in mountainous seas while working aboard the Buckie-registered Aurora. The tragedy occurred as the 70ft boat was battered by force nine gales off the Outer Hebrides.

Four men died when the 70ft Margaretha Maria disappeared off Cornwall in November, just five weeks after the Sapphire tragedy.

Although not included in the MAIB figures, there was tragedy for the westcoast villages of Mallaig, Morar, and Airisaig only two months ago when the five crew of the Mallaig-based 125ft Silvery Sea when the boat was struck by a German ship in broad daylight off the Danish coast.

Yesterday, Mr Prescott announced that vessels of up to 12 metres in length would now be subject to regular

inspections following the publication of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report.

However, Hamish Morrison, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, dismissed the new regulations as ''rhetoric''.

He said: ''The biggest contribution that could be made to the safety of fishing vessels is by making sure that everyone goes to sea in modern boats. It's no secret that a lot of our fleet is getting long in the tooth.

''In other European countries with fishing fleets the governments concerned all have fairly extensive programmes of investment incentives. For example, there is a five-year programme in Spain worth #1000m and in Ireland it's worth #45m, but the British programme is worth absolutely zero.

''The Spanish are assisting the building of 1390 new vessels and 1500 are being modernised. Half the cost is coming from the EU and 10% from the Spanish government, while the rest comes from the fishermen themselves.

''So whether you look at it in terms of safety at sea or commercial competitiveness, it comes to the same thing, we are being left behind.

''It's all very well for Mr Prescott to hand out lectures, but if he would try and bring his own Government

up to the standard of international practices in this matter we might make some progress.''

At anything up to #7m for a new boat, Scots fishermen already hit by increasing costs and tighter regulations face almost no chance of financing modern vessels themselves. So far this year, around 15 new boats have been added to Scotland's 5000-strong fleet.

''It's astonishing the amount of money fishermen are investing in new ships when you consider what they now cost and when you compare their situation to that of competitors in other countries who are assisted as handsomely as they are,'' said Mr Morrison.

''And these are family businesses,

not corporations, so it really is serious money.''

The MAIB report suggested the rise in deaths could be related to the fact that boats were venturing further out to sea in search of a catch.

''That may be true, but the mainstay of the fleet has always fished a long way off-shore,'' said Mr Morrison.

''They all have to work hard to finance their investment, but the other factor that's overlooked is that this industry is so heavily regulated with rules about what you can catch, where you can catch it, and when

you can catch it, that it is as big a

factor in the whole equation as the economics of it.''

He added: ''The only way of being absolutely safe at sea is not to go there. So if you want to put safety out in front you tie the boat to the wall and don't go anywhere. The minute you venture out of the harbour there is risk. So there is always going to be a balance between risk and reward.

''It may be that the Government inspector will take the view that this is happening therefore we must insist on this measure, which may render the whole thing unprofitable. I suspect that is where the so-called resistance has come from.''

He said he did not disagree with the principle of new regulations, but that

it was often expensive for fishermen

to comply.

''One mustn't lose sight of the fact that these are small businesses so they have to find the money to comply

and for some it may mean the choice between finding the money and

giving up.

''I think a degree of regulation fatigue is out there. Just keeping on top of it myself, with a full-time staff, is a hard job, so how on earth a skipper copes I can't begin to imagine.

''The Government shouldn't be surprised when people say 'away with you' when it comes out with another sanctimonious lecture.''

There was a tendency to say there must be a single answer to beating the dangers of the sea and if a regulation was enforced to beat it everything would be OK.

''But the sea isn't like that. And in a way it's kind of dangerous to think in terms of simple solutions because it takes people's eyes off the ball and every situation must be assessed on its own merits.

''However, everybody is probably quite pleased that a former seafarer like John Prescott is taking this situation as seriously as he appears to be.''