The UK government has announced a partial reversal of its policy on medical certification for fishermen. This follows an extensive campaign by the NFFO, and now anyone fishing for four weeks or more on a UK under-10 vessel between 30th November 2021 and 29th November 2023 is exempt from the requirement to hold a medical fitness certificate.
‘This is a welcome outcome and desperately needed. It is a total reversal in the government’s position on the under 10m fleet and will benefit thousands of fishermen,’ an NFFO representative commented.
‘They will no longer have to live with the constant prospect of losing their livelihoods because of medical conditions that are demonstrably having no impact on their safety.’
According to the NFFO, it’s strange that the government has trumpeted this U-turn as a move that reduces the burdern on fishermen – as the authorities had been adamant in creating this burden to begin with, despite the industry’s warnings of the consequences.
‘Nevertheless, it is the right thing to do and will help many people who would otherwise have faced a bleak outlook. This may be a deeply necessary move, but it is not sufficient. Deciding who should benefit from this exemption based on the length of their boat does not make sense,’ the NFFO states.
‘Inshore boats over 10m may work in the same places in in the same ways as under 10s. These fishermen are just as likely to be self-employed and their businesses are just as vulnerable to new legislative burdens. Indeed, they already have the additional challenges of e-log and VMS systems to contend with.’
The NFFO argues that an exemption based on time at sea and distance from port would be more sensible and proportionate than one based on vessel length.
‘Even within the under 10m fleet, the story is not over. What happens now for all those who left the industry because they went through the medical certification process and received an outcome that made continued working impossible or impractical for them?’ the NFFO’s representative asked.
‘How many lives have been upended, in entirely predictable ways, for no good reason and what will the government do for them now? We have won a battle, but the fight goes on.’
