A north-east football club has thrown its support behind a innovative new safety at sea campaign.
Sea You Home Safe was launched in 2014 and is calling for the 12,000 fishermen across the UK to consider using lightweight flotation devices whenever they set sail.
A study commissioned by industry body Seafish has revealed that 46% of fishermen in the UK believe their job to be dangerous, yet a third confess to rarely or never wearing a personal flotation device (PFD).
Now Peterhead FC – based in the fishing capital of Europe – have added their voice to the calls for increased safety awareness.
The players also wore the latest PFDs at a recent training session, debunking the myth the device is cumbersome for fishermen to wear while working.
Last night the club’s general manager Nat Porter said: “At Peterhead FC we take the safety of our players very seriously and we would never let them onto the pitch without the correct equipment.
“So, when we were approached to be a part of this campaign and made aware of the difference wearing a PFD can make to the safety of fishermen at sea we were excited to get involved.
“This is especially true as Peterhead has a rich heritage as a fishing community, and we are very happy to do anything we can do to help draw attention to an issue so close to our supporter’s lives.”
Local Skipper and Peterhead FC season ticket holder, Peter Bruce echoed the team’s calls for increased safety at sea.
He said: “It’s as simple as this. Fishermen should never go on deck without a PFD. The unexpected can happen at any time even in the best of conditions.
“A PFD has been shown time and again to give fishermen a better chance of survival in an overboard situation. Think of your family at home if anything was to happen to you.
“Just take that extra 30 seconds before going on deck, in other words – get it on.”
Over the past 12 months 7,000 lightweight PFDs – each worth £100 – have been handed out to fishermen as part of various industry-led projects.