Rory Bremner joins national fishing awards in hunt for best commercial fishermen in UK & Ireland

A national awards programme is looking for the foremost commercial fishermen in the UK and Ireland, and the public are being asked to put forward their nominations. Designed to celebrate the dedication, skills, and ingenuity of those working within UK and Irish commercial fishing, the Fishing News Awards 2017 will shine a spotlight on those fishermen and fishing organisations who have excelled in commercial fishing throughout 2016.

The 2017 Fishing News Awards will recognise excellence in commercial fishing across 12 categories, including ‘Young Fisherman of the Year’, ‘Fishing Port of the Year’ and the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. New for 2017 is the category ‘Independent Fresh Fish Retailer of the Year’, which will recognise the contribution of a local shop, market stall or travelling van to the commercial fishing industry in their community. Hosted by renowned comedian Rory Bremner, the awards are set to be held in Aberdeen on 25 May 2017.

Nominations for the awards are now open and free to enter, with people being urged to nominate friends, family, crewmates, or even themselves, for one of these prestigious accolades. All nominations must be received by Friday 17 February 2017 for consideration. A shortlist of nominees for most categories will be revealed in late February.

David Linkie, the Editor of Fishing News, said: “Increasing numbers of people all across the country are eating fish every day, yet how often do they really consider all the hard work and skill that went into catching it for them? This is the key question we asked ourselves when setting out to host these awards.

“Fishermen are some of the bravest and hardest workers in the country, yet are often the most modest and unassuming people. They certainly aren’t ones to shout about their own successes yet they are more than worthy of recognition – which is why we ask for nominations from their peers and colleagues.

“It’s important the public realise the work fishermen put in, every single day of the year, to catch fresh, sustainable fish. This is precisely why Fishing News is hosting these awards; to celebrate the determination, skills, and ingenuity of those involved in commercial fishing across the UK and Ireland over the past year.”

Other categories at the awards include ‘New Boat of the Year’, ‘Technical Innovation of the Year’ and specialised awards for fishermen depending on the particular sector of the industry in which they work.

To see the full list of categories and to enter a nomination for the Fishing News Awards, visit www.fishingnews.co.uk/awards and complete the online entry form. Head to Twitter and use the hashtag #FishingNewsAwards to join in the conversation.