Blog post: Fishing port safety visit to the South Coast

Port Skills and Safety’s Fishing Port Safety Manager, Kevin Robinson recently visited the South Coast as part of the Fishing Port Safety Project, to understand the specific issues affecting ports and harbours with fishing operations.

Hastings

First stop was Hastings, which is not a “port” in the generally-accepted sense, but a vibrant and thriving fishing community never-the-less. At Hastings, fishing vessels are launched and recovered from the beach, in a tradition spanning hundreds of years. In fact, fishers are assured free use of the The Stade, as this stretch of the beach is known, “forever”. Even though Hastings has the UK’s largest beach-launched fishing fleet, this does not preclude the general public from using the beach as well, and it was interesting to see the interaction of fishing activities with the public at large.

Boats are hauled out of the sea using a combination of tractors and winches and left on the beach, above the tide line, between trips and for general repairs and maintenance. The activity is managed and coordinated by the Hastings Fishermen’s Protection Society, who do an excellent job of ensuring that access is maintained whist keeping safety firmly in mind.

Elsewhere in the UK, beach-launched fishing activities are being hampered by coastal erosion, resulting in a significant gap between slipway and beach, making recovery, in particular, a hazardous exercise. Interestingly, Hastings has the opposite problem – accretion of sand and aggregate, creating a large dune that must be traversed every time a vessel is launched or recovered. Fishers are a resilient breed though, and whilst this may not be an ideal situation, the passion for fish and the sea is still clearly evident in the faces and voices of those that work from The Stade.

Shoreham Port

From Hastings, it was short journey along the coast to Shoreham – a multipurpose port that combines conventional cargo handling (steel, timber and aggregates) with seafood landings. Shoreham Port is currently implementing shore-based power supply, which covers the area used for seafood landings. By utilising this facility, suitably-equipped vessels can significantly reduce their carbon footprint, whilst also reducing noise and vibration from ships engines and generators – a welcome change for those who sleep aboard. The fishing activities at Shoreham tend to be seasonal, but the care and attention provided by the port team is unfaltering.

Portsmouth

Journey’s end was Portsmouth. Famed for its links to the Royal Navy and its historic naval vessels, Portsmouth International Port also handles seafood in its own dedicated port area – The Camber. With a relatively small tidal range and a sheltered location, The Camber makes extensive use of floating pontoons for access and egress to fishing vessels.

Fishing activities include potting and dredging – evidence of which could be seen in the fishing gear that was being stored on the quayside. Despite this, the busy port area was seen to be both clean and tidy, under the watchful eye of Port Health and Safety Officer Kathryn Angus.

A great example of how the safety of fishers can be approached from different angles, came in the form of Fishermen’s Mission area officer, Hayley Hamlett, who works in cooperation with the port, to provide access to medical services for fishermen whilst in-port. Fitness for work is an essential part of keeping safe in a dynamic activity such as fishing, and it’s very satisfying to see this initiative making a real difference to those who need it.

PSS would like to thank all those involved in this visit. Getting out and meeting members and highlighting the important work they do, is a vital part of PSS’s work. To organise a tour of your port, please get in touch.