Service to mark national fishing remembrance day

AN OUTDOOR service is set to be held in Lerwick this weekend to mark the second National Fishing Remembrance Day.

It will be hosted by the Fishermen’s Mission at Albert Wharf, by the Esplanade, at 3pm on Sunday 11 May.

Local mission area officer Aubrey Jamieson said it will be a “simple service” held on the quayside.

“I trust it will give the opportunity for families and the wider community to remember those from our islands who over the years have paid the ultimate price whilst bringing us the harvest of the sea,” he added.

“Members of Lerwick Brass Band will lead us in our hymns, there will be readings, prayers and a time of quiet reflection.

“Towards the close there will be an opportunity for anyone who wishes to put a flower into the water as an act of remembrance.”

Marc Evans, chief executive of the Fishermen’s Mission, said it was an “important day of remembrance for the families and communities who have lost a loved one while working at sea”.

Advertisement6 of 10

He added: “For our fishing communities it is important that the dangers of fishing are recognised alongside the risks that are inherent in bringing in the catch.

“As an island nation, fishing is an important part of our history and culture, which we both celebrate and commemorate.”

The Fishermen’s Mission is the only national charity that works solely to support both active and former fishermen and their dependents, while it maintains a “Christian presence around the coast of the UK”.