Yorkshire's fishing sector urgently needs young workers: Phil Haslam
The connection between the Yorkshire and Humber region and maritime is impossible to ignore. Hull was once the third largest fishing port in the world. Whitby was once one of the UK’s most significant shipbuilding ports, and smaller fishing villages dot the coastline.
That maritime heritage has left a profound mark on the region, shaping its identity and helping establish communities across the area.
And yet a generation of young people have grown up with almost no idea that a career in fishing or the wider maritime sector is open to them.
Research commissioned by North Atlantic Fishing Company presents a disconnect between Yorkshire and Humber’s maritime legacy and the career aspirations of its young people in this field. While 74 per cent of residents in the region believe that fishing is important to global food security, over two-thirds (67 per cent) still would not consider a career in the sector.
This disconnect starts in the classroom. Just five per cent of Yorkshire residents recall being told about careers in fishing or maritime industries at school, already sitting at almost half the national average, which is itself far too low.
This absence of information is actively costing the sector the talent it needs, at a time when it needs it most. With an experienced generation of maritime professionals approaching retirement age, the urgency of bringing new people into the industry has never been greater.
There is a broader conversation happening right now in schools, colleges and homes across the country about the future of work. Young people are understandably anxious about what automation and artificial intelligence mean for their career prospects and their value in the workplace. Many are watching familiar career paths change rapidly and wondering where they fit.
In a world where automation is reshaping many industries, fishing remains a field where skilled human judgement is fundamental to success.
Technology is undoubtedly playing a greater role in commercial fishing, whether that’s vessel monitoring, data analysis, or supply chain management, and rather than reducing opportunities, it’s broadening the range of careers available. Today, the sector needs skippers and marine engineers alongside fisheries scientists, data analysts, and logistics managers: roles that combine technical knowledge, practical skills, and real-time decision-making.
It’s also a sector shaped by its regulatory environment. For example, the management of Total Allowable Catches (TACs) adds a layer of complexity that calls for adaptability and commercial awareness from businesses and individuals alike. At the same time, pelagic fishing, catching mid-water species, contributes to global food security, produces some of the lowest-carbon-footprint protein available, and supports coastal communities across the UK.
For young people seeking a career with variety, challenge, and the chance to make a meaningful difference, the maritime and fishing industries offer a path worth considering.
One of the greatest barriers the sector faces is perception. When people in our research were asked about careers in fishing, over half associated the industry almost exclusively with deckhands and crew work. Only one in five recognised roles, such as marine engineer, biologist, or quality control specialist. Twelve per cent said they were unaware of any specific careers in the sector.
The reality is a high-skill, high-value industry with clear progression routes, from a school leaver joining a cadetship through to a qualified skipper or chief engineer holding an internationally recognised professional qualification.
And this region is uniquely placed to capitalise on that. Hull and the wider Humber estuary remain some of the most significant hubs in the UK seafood supply chain. The infrastructure, the expertise, the heritage, it is all here on the doorstep.
Ensuring accessible and well-supported entry routes into the maritime sector is critical if we are to address the skills gap and unlock the full potential of the next generation.
That’s why, at NAFCO, we sponsor cadets each year through structured training programmes, combining academic study with practical sea time, and supporting people into careers as trainee Deck Officers (Mates) and junior Engineer Officers. We invest in apprenticeships because we know that an early connection to maritime life can be the moment that changes a young person’s trajectory entirely.
If Yorkshire is to make progress on its skills agenda, there is an opportunity for the maritime and fishing industries to become a more visible part of that conversation. Greater visibility in schools and colleges, with maritime careers discussed alongside other pathways, could help young people see what’s possible for them.
It would be encouraging to see skills bodies and regional employers highlight this sector as the strategic asset it is, and to ensure that young people from all backgrounds across the region can recognise that a career connected to the sea is within their reach.
The knowledge gap is real, but it can be closed. The interest among younger generations is there. We just need to reach them before the opportunity passes.
Phil Haslam is managing director of the North Atlantic Fishing Company