Seafood Cornwall Training has presented certificates and celebrated the successful completion of the introduction to commercial fishing course by all trainees.

The newly qualified trainees can now join the crew of commercial fishing vessels in the knowledge that they are properly qualified. Their success at this course means they meet the safety requirements to start fishing. The course has also introduced skills in handling fish on board and caring for quality of the fish landed, plus essential skills including net making and net mending, working with rope, coastal area navigation and marine diesel engine maintenance.

"These new trainees will help to fill berths on vessels in Cornwall and beyond," said SCT instructor Andy Wheeler. "They have stuck at the work on the course really well, now they can join boats to gain experience and we hope to see them back to develop their qualifications later in their fishing career."

Because there is such a range of skills to learn, the students have spent days with many of the SCT instructors and spent time both in the training HUB classroom and visiting the market, fish processors, and fishing vessels.

"We work hard to make sure that trainees meet up with as many people working on or for the fishing vessels so that they learn at first hand," said Clare Leverton, training manager at Seafood Cornwall Training. "We are lucky to have such welcoming and helpful people in the fish businesses in Newlyn and beyond who have volunteered information and time to give real insights to their work."

The course was free to encourage new entrants to the fishing industry using financial support from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the EU (EMFF) via Seafish.