Mark the Skipper's story | Seafish

Mark the Skipper's story

Mark is a relief skipper on the FV Chloe Ella. Find out how our training support helped him in to take the courses he needed to do his dream job.


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Mark is a relief skipper on the FV Chloe Ella fishing out of Buckie in Scotland. Since he could walk, he wanted to follow in his dad’s footsteps and become a fisherman. He left school at 16 to become a deckhand.

Photo of Mark Newlands out at sea on his fishing vessel.
Mark Newlands working on the Chloe Ella.

In 2019, he got in touch with us looking for some financial support to do the Class 2 Deck Officer ticket to become a qualified skipper of a fishing vessel.

Thanks to funding from the Scottish Government and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to support training for those working on fishing vessels, we were able to help Mark do all five courses he needed worth £10,000.

The funding I have received through Seafish has transformed my career in the fishing industry. It gave me, an ordinary working fisherman, a level playing field, a chance to better myself and realise my ambition of becoming a skipper.

I cannot thank Seafish enough for the help I have received on making my dream possible and will always be eternally grateful.
Mark Newlands, relief Skipper of the FV Chloe Ella

Mark recently completed his Class 1 Skipper certificate too.

Our work supporting the seafood industry to have the right skills and training to thrive

Mark isn’t the only person this funding has helped. Each year, we help around 1,000 workers on fishing vessels through courses at training centres across the UK. Where we can secure the funding, we can provide financial help to cover:

  • Refresher safety training;
  • Under 16.5m Skipper’s certificate which covers courses on navigation and bridge watching, engineering, stability awareness and GMDSS Radio Operation;
  • An Introduction to Commercial Fishing 3 week course for new entrants
Two men taking part in mandatory sea survival training. They are in a swimming pool holding on to a life raft as part of the training.
Funding may be available for refresher sea survival training

We’ve also got information on Seafish approved courses and learning materials for onshore workers too. Some of it is available for free.

How can we help you?

If you think we can help you in to your dream job in the seafood industry or you want to develop your employees skills and knowledge, get in touch with training@seafish.co.uk

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