Calling all salmon, oyster, mussel and trout farmers in County Down.
A new project will provide grant-aided lifejackets to Northern Ireland’s Aquaculture Industry.
The first event in the UK to distribute Personal Floatation devices (PFDs) or lifejackets to aquaculture workers in Northern Ireland will be held in Red Bay RNLI Station on 26 November at 5pm.
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Jonathan McKee of the Kilkeel Fishing vessel the Achilles receiving his lifejacket from Maurice Lake (Fishermen’s Mission), Lynn Gilmore (Seafish) and Lesley Hammond (Fishermen’s Mission/ Asda Supermarket)[/caption]
Around 50 aquaculture workers from across Northern Ireland are expected to attend the event, which is part of a joint safety initiative, funded by DARD through the European Fisheries Fund, managed by Seafish and supported by a wide range of project partners including the Fishermen’s Mission, the RNLI, H.M. Coastguard, the Cross Border Aquaculture Initiative and the Loughs Agency as well as the local aquaculture industry.
The Mullion Compact Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs), or lifejackets, are the same type that have now helped save the lives of a number of fishermen who have received this equipment as part of a wider programme being rolled out across the UK and Ireland. This new scheme is aimed at aquaculture workers, while distribution of PFDs to sea fishermen and inland fishermen continues in Northern Ireland.
This project was initiated by DARD Minister Michelle O’Neill as part of a package of measures to assist oyster farmers in the wake of high mortalities caused by a disease outbreak in summer 2013 but has been rolled out to the entire aquaculture sector in Northern Ireland to improve safety.
Please contact Dr Lynn Gilmore of Seafish by email (lynn.gilmore@seafish.co.uk) to book your place at the event and if you are planning to come along don’t forget to bring some photo identification and proof you work in an aquaculture business (eg a payslip) to enable you to collect your lifejacket.
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