Wednesday 5 September 2007

New Trust is Launched to Help Keep Fishermen Safe

A new trust company has been launched today by the oil and gas and fishing industries to help keep fishermen safe in UK waters.

The Fisheries Legacy Trust Company's (FLTC) main function is to build a trust fund which can be used to maintain comprehensive, up-to-date information on all seabed hazards related to oil and gas activities for as long as they remain, and to make this data available for use by fishing vessel plotters found on-board in wheelhouses all around our coasts.

Welcoming the launch of the company UK Energy Minister, Malcolm Wicks, said: "I welcome this important collaboration between mariners to improve safety in UK waters.  The FTLC will help sea users to operate safely for many years to come, and is a tribute to the hard work of both the oil and gas and fishing industries." 

The company is the outcome of ongoing co-operation between Oil & Gas UK, the Scottish Fishermens Federation (SFF) and the National Federation of Fishermens Organisations (NFFO).

The executive chairman of the FLTC is Niall Scott, who commented: This is an important milestone in the long-term engagement between the fishing and oil and gas industries. The FLTC will extend the existing monitoring schemes in both scope and reach, preserving this valuable service to fishermen into the future.

The first project in the pipeline is 'FishSafe Mk2,' an updated replacement of the 'FishSafe' monitor initially developed in 2000 and available in the wheelhouse of many fishing boats. It is hoped that EU support funding will also be available so that the projects scope and application can be extended.

John Skipper, a director of the new company, said: "The oil and gas industry is permitted by law to leave some oil and gas related infrastructure on the seabed following the completion of an approved decommissioning programme but it recognises that this can potentially impact the fishing industry. Over the years, it has taken positive steps to develop methods and systems which allow our industry to work safely and efficiently with the fishing industry and to promote harmonious working relations."

As well as providing long-term monitoring of seabed objects and timely communication of this information to on-board fishing vessel plotters, the FLTC will encourage and facilitate discussion of health, safety and environmental aspects of marine operations that cross industry borders and promote advancement of the science and the education of practitioners in the area.

Fred Normandale, NFFO's chairman and a director of FLTC, commented: "The establishment of the FLTC is a major accomplishment for both sectors. The decommissioning of oil and gas related infrastructure has been an area of concern for fishermen for some time and the FLTC addresses many of those concerns."

Alex West, immediate past President of SFF and FLTC director, said: "The FLTC builds upon more than thirty years of interaction and mutual support between the oil and gas and fishing industries and will ensure a safe, long-term future for activity in UK waters. The trust company will be involved in projects that will make a tangible difference to the operation of fishing fleets in UK waters for years to come."

The FLTC will initially be supported by funds from Oil & Gas UK but eventually will be wholly funded by contributions from oil and gas companies who will be asked to make a contribution at the time of decommissioning. The resultant fund is being registered as a charity to improve its ability to deliver its objectives.

NOTE TO EDITORS

1. Oil & Gas UK is the leading representative organisation for the UK offshore oil and gas industry.  Its members are companies licensed by the Government to explore for and produce oil and gas in UK waters and those who form any part of the industrys supply chain.  It has 60 members.
2. SFF is the primary and lead representative body for fishermen in Scotland plays an active role in advancing the interests of Scottish fishermen at national and international levels by lobbying government officials in Edinburgh, London and Brussels.
3. NFFO is the primary representative body for fishermen in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Its membership fishes extensively throughout the UKCS and beyond.
4. Directors of the FLTC will be appointed by both the oil and gas and fishing industries and an observer from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) will be invited to provide regulatory context.

   Chair: Niall Scott Directors: John Skipper, Ian McCombie, Alex West, Fred Normandale Industry Observers: Michael Sutherland, Dave Bevan Government Observer: Wendy Kennedy

 

For further information, please contact:

Sally Fraser Oil & Gas UK Media Relations   Mobile:      07976 850996 Email:  sfraser@oilandgasuk.co.uk