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Surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will begin to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels across the UK.

The inspections are being carried out as part of the MCA's ongoing work around fishing vessel safety in an industry that is recognised to be one of the most dangerous in the world.

Since November 2020, there have been eight deaths, which is higher than average. It represents more than 10% of the total fatalities from the last 10 years.

Between 2011 and 2020, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has reported 60 fatalities from UK fishing vessels.

The MCA has worked with the fishing industry to reinforce the messages about the requirements of legislation around standards of safety for crew and vessels.

The agency has said that it can and will take action where it feels advice is being ignored and safety not taken seriously.

Tony Heslop, assistant director, survey and inspection (south) said: 'While education is important and we will continue to do that, enforcement is also needed for those who consistently ignore our message, to emphasise why this matters and why we take it seriously.'


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