Fishing is a career like no other. Most fishermen say they wouldn't dream of doing anything else, it's a way of life.
However, the employment statistics for the UK fleet published by Seafish in 2019, reveals the average age of a UK fisherman is 42 and the industry is struggling to attract young and ambitious school leavers into a career at sea.
This month we're asking if it's really possible to have a career in fishing. We explore the work that's been going on in the background over the last ten years to entice people into a career at sea and we speak to young fishermen about what happened when they tried to leave school at 16 to become a fisherman full-time.
We also discover a lack of young new entrants is an issue that many countries across the world are struggling with, and we learn what they are doing to try and solve it. We ask the Maritime Skills Alliance to see what the fishing industry can learn from other maritime careers and what the industry needs to do to get young people to see fishing as a viable career.
Interviews include:
Tom Lambourn - Lyonesse (Crew), My Lass (Owner) and Youth Board Member
Aidan McClary - Deckhand (Little Cristina) and CFPO Youth Board Member
Ben Bengey - Shelly N (Skipper), Winner of 2019's Fishing News Award
Iain Mackinnon - Maritime Skills Alliance
Linda Behnken - Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association (ALFA)