Yet another story in the main media - this time an article in the Financial Times - drawing attention to the plight of migrant crews - this time one based in Kilkeel, Northern ireland.
Fishing News ran a story as soon as it could after the Time post - and included a heartflet response from Harry Wick, CEO of the NI PO:‘One-sided and selective’: NI industry reacts to criticism Harry Wick, CEO of the Northern Ireland FPO and a member of the Fishermen’s Welfare Alliance, provides his personal reaction to the Financial Times article
It is upsetting and distressing for all of us when one of our fishing family suffers an injury at work, and absolutely heartbreaking when one of our own is diagnosed as terminally ill. The fact that employers and organisations named in the article didn’t have their side of the story published, or get to fully share with readers the actions they took to support their crew, shows that some in the media have no qualms about exploiting personal tragedy as long as it helps them get clicks on a website.
That this no longer comes as a surprise is not to deny there are any issues in our industry. When health and safety routines break down, we should of course scrutinise and shine a light on what went wrong. That is how we get better. Both health and safety and welfare are processes in which the industry should and does look for continuous improvement.
However, to attempt to blacken the reputation of our industry by selective reporting, containing more imaginative suggestion than fact, isn’t what any serious observer will recognise as responsible. No matter how much flowery language the article uses, it is ultimately narrative-building by omission, and reckless use of the journalistic hatchet to chop off the bits of truth that don’t help sell the story.
Let’s look at some of those omissions, because they are glaring indeed! Industry has long recognised the faults of the transit visa, and long lobbied the government to develop a more appropriate system. That they haven’t is their failing, not ours. It was the industry that had fishermen recognised as skilled workers, not least so we might better look after the welfare of our crews and drive wages up for the lowest paid, local and foreign alike. It was industry in Northern Ireland that was the first to give unrestricted access to an independent charity that they might audit and advise on best practice for crew welfare.
These days, for a myriad of reasons it seems the fishing industry, like many that require more than just sitting at a warm, comfortable desk with regular breaks, finds itself heavily reliant on foreign crews - with all the issues that there employment brings.
It really is time there was a concerted effort by the industry to up interest and recruitment in every sector from coastal areas - never has the need for a single voice representing the industry been greater. A single fishing industry union could just be the way ahead.