Fisherman Mark Elder paid ultimate price at sea, says sister

Mark Elder died when his leg became caught in a rope on a creel boat and he was pulled overboard

A woman says her fisherman brother paid the ultimate price for unsafe practices at sea.

Mark Elder, 26, from Thurso, died when his leg became caught in a rope on the creel boat he was working on and he was pulled overboard.

His employer Scrabster Seafoods Ltd has been fined £80,000 after pleading guilty to health and safety breaches.

Jackie Kay said the fine had brought some closure and she hoped her brother could now rest in peace.

Mr Elder was was working on the boat North Star off Cape Wrath on 5 February 2018 when he drowned.

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He was helping to deploy creels when he became entangled in a coil of rope and was dragged overboard and into the sea.

On Wednesday, at Tain Sheriff Court, Scrabster Seafoods Ltd pled guilty to contraventions of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency investigation found that the company's directors had no experience of operating and managing fishing vessels.

The probe also found they had failed to arrange or complete the required new risk assessment when they purchased the boat in November 2016.

The court heard changes were made to the boat that should have initiated fresh risk assessments.

Mr Elder had been working on the creel boat North Star

Ms Kay told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime programme: "This was not just an accident that was unavoidable.

"This was an accident that could 100% been avoided if the correct health and safety regulations were being practised on that vessel.

"It just shows you that it might just be some small rules that you are breaking at the time and whatever it is tend to, in the end, have severe consequences.

"Unfortunately it wasn't safe working conditions on the vessel and my brother paid the ultimate price for that."

Ms Kay said the case had taken a longer than expected to come to court.

But she added: "A lot of things have contributed to that and we have just had to be patient.

"It was quite good to finally get to the end now. It's not exact closure, but it's time to let him rest in peace and the family to try and move on with daily life as best as we can."