U-turn on medical certificates for fishermen

An ML5 medical certificate was needed

The requirement of medical certificates for small-scale fishermen has been removed in a U-turn by the government.

The policy came in last year in November and meant fishermen needed a doctor-approved medical certificate to work at sea.

But Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced at Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall on Thursday this would now be removed.

He said fishermen and organisations had "welcomed the decision" and the "speed" it was made at.

Mark Harper was at Newlyn Harbour on Thursday

Mr Harper said: "When this policy was first developed, we did talk to all the organisations that represent fishing and originally they all supported it.

"But like a lot of these things, as you get to the point of it being implemented and the consequences for individuals become clearer, it's only at that point sometimes you get those things fed back to you."

An ML5 medical certificate meant patients had to declare whether they had a body mass index (BMI) above 35, and the government previously said it was important fishermen did not cause a risk to themselves or others.

Newlyn fisherman Nathan de Rozarieux said it "seemed crazy" small boat fishermen were included in the policy.

He said, for vessels offshore, fishermen did need to be of "fit medical health" but to apply it to fishing inshore "never ever made sense".