Funding available to help fishing crews build skills and stay safe at sea

Fishermen, vessel crew or those looking to enter the fishing industry are being urged to apply for funding to improve their skills, safety knowledge and career prospects. 

Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, has funding available for people working on UK-registered fishing vessels to help cover the cost of a wide range of training courses. 

The funding has been provided through the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the four UK fisheries administrations with the training itself aiming to take participants beyond the minimum legal requirements. 

Training that may be supported includes refresher safety courses such as Sea Survival, Fire Fighting, First Aid, and Safety Awareness as well as career development courses, such as navigation, engineering and radio operation, for those working towards obtaining skipper certification. 

Seafish says funding could also support people who want to begin a career in the fishing industry. 

Upon completion of training, Seafish now issues digital certificates making it easier for participants to access their qualification when needed or store in an electronic safety folder, if they have one, for their vessel. 

Digital certification is secure, replaces the need for paper and speeds up the process of passing certificates on when requested. 

Seafish adds that digital certificates are free on request to fishers who currently have only paper copies of existing Seafish certificates. 

Neil McAleese, Head of Industry Workforce Issues at Seafish, said: “Keeping our fishing communities safe and skilled is a priority for Seafish. 

“This funding gives people working at sea an opportunity to sharpen their skills, refresh important safety knowledge and grow their career.  

“We urge anyone interested, from experienced crew to people thinking about joining the industry, to find out what support is available and to apply.” 

Seafish works with a network of Approved Training Providers across the UK who can help with booking, eligibility and applications.  

There are regional variations on the levels of funding available and Seafish will be able to advise interested applicants further on this.  

Funding is currently available through to 31st March 2026. 

For more details, or to apply, visit Funding support for training in the fishing industry | Seafish where you will find the online application form. 

ENDS