Isle of Man's teenage fishing apprentice's joy at UK award win

The 17-year-old said she was "overwhelmed" with the local support

A Manx teenager is celebrating after being crowned Trainee Fisherman of the Year at a UK national ceremony.

Isla Gale said she was "so happy" to receive the accolade at the Fishing News Awards in Aberdeen last week.

Currently an apprentice on local vessel the Shannon Kimberly, she aims to be the island's first female skipper.

The 17-year-old said she had been "overwhelmed" by the support she has been shown by people on the island since being shortlisted for the award.

She said: "The Manx community has helped me so much with it and I'm just still overwhelmed by the amount of people that have congratulated me."

The success has also spurred on her ambition to encourage more women and young people into the sector.

"There's so many opportunities for women to get involved in the fishing industry and I think it needs to be more explored," she said.

Above all though, she said it was the the kind of skipper she wanted to become that was most important.

She said: "I've always said I wanted to be the first female skipper, but I've also always said I wanted to be a good skipper, which is what I stand by."

Isla said she knew she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her father from a young age

Isla was inspired to get into the industry after watching her father, who also works in the fishing industry, from a young age.

Recalling the first time he took his daughter out on a boat at the age of 12, Luke Corkill said she "did the full summer on the queenies" and at that point he knew "she wasn't ever going to leave the job".

"I'm just very proud... the future is definitely bright," he added.