THE Government is to introduce regulations on basic safety training for the fishing industry and a new centre is to be established Co Cork.
Announcing a series of measures yesterday the Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett, said a dedicated fishing vessel safety unit was to be established within his Department. However, Bord Iascaigh Mhara will retain its central role as the State body responsible for fisheries training, his Department says.
The Minister also said an independent consultancy study was to be carried out to determine a "human resource strategy" for the industry, and to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of current arrangements.
No mention was made in the announcement of the recently released study on this very area by the European Social Fund.
The Department of the Marine is the fourth highest spending Government Department on commissioning consultancy studies.
The series of measures is based on the findings of the Minister's review group on fishing vessel safety, which was set up last year following three serious fishing accidents in which 10 lives were lost. That report was published last June, and the Minister's response has been eagerly awaited.
The package includes two new mobile training units, one of which was launched by BIM last January, and the recruitment of three additional training staff under the EU PESCA initiative.
Certain vessels will be required to carry emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs) and the latest radio communication equipment, and north/west coast medium frequency coverage is to be extended.
New manning regulations will be drawn up and enacted to raise crew certification requirements and skill levels, and this will be complemented by increased emphasis on enforcement by the Department.
The Department's Irish Marine Emergency Service is currently commissioning a range of safety related improvements, including a new VHF transmission/receiving station for Galway Bay. A new fishing vessel safety management committee is also to be established, which will be directed and supported by the Department of the Marine with representation from the Marine Survey Office, the Marine Radio Survey Office, the IMES, BIM and the Health and Safety Authority.
Yesterday, the Minister said he was "totally committed" to the programme, and said fishermen, skippers, owners and representative organisations had a major role to play in raising safety standards.
