WHITEFORD & STEVENSON VISIT PETERHEAD-BASED TRAINING ORGANISATION

SNP Westminster candidate for Banff & Buchan Eilidh Whiteford and local MSP Stewart Stevenson paid a visit to Peterhead-based North-east Fishermen's Training Association (NEFTA) this week to discuss current training issues.

NEFTA – which is based above the old fishmarket - is run by fishermen for the benefit of fishermen and fishing communities and has responsibility for facilitating multi-disciplinary training for fishermen working on a diverse and modern fleet of vessels. NEFTA strives to deliver high quality training to the fleet at a reasonable cost; tapping into government/EU funding via SeaFish to run free courses wherever possible.

Speaking in Peterhead after her visit, SNP candidate Eilidh Whiteford said:

"I enjoyed meeting Jim and his team, and learning about the safety training NEFTA offers fishermen across the North-east.

"Fishing remains a dangerous occupation, and it's vital that those going to sea are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to stay as safe as possible."

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson added:

"NEFTA carry out extremely valuable work and it was useful to hear more about this at first hand.

"Fishing is a vital employer in our coastal communities and the provision of locally-accessible training is very important in retaining employment locally."