Editorial: Fisherman Tuberculosis deaths in Falklands fishery

Written by Nicholas Roberts for the May 28, 2021, issue of Penguin News - published in the weekly editorial section “Deputy Editor’s views”

A young man has died; 26 years old, estimated after his death to weigh what a healthy 12-year-old boy should. It was his first time on a ship, and he was thousands of miles away from home. So if seeing the words “concentration camp” on the front page made you uncomfortable, good, I guarantee the families of the people who die in our waters every year feel worse than you do.

The fishing industry is a dangerous one. There’s a reason that there have been many novels, documentaries, TV shows and movies with the perils of the sea present as a central tension. As such, when someone goes on a fishing ship, or takes any job which involves time at sea, one can assume a certain level of understanding that there is reasonable risk involved, just like in all those seafaring stories. What those stories, documentaries, movies and TV shows don’t include as a risk of the sea is dying of a disease which has been preventable, treatable and curable for almost three quarters of a century.

Yes, work at sea is dangerous. But six lives were lost in the UK fishing industry in 2019; in total. At this stage we’ve had two deaths from tuberculosis – once again: a disease preventable, curable and preventable since the 1950s – in the last month alone; plus two men overboard, still not found, within the first of our two seasons. Considering the size difference between the fishery of the UK and ours there should be no consideration of this being proportionate, if you somehow consider any number of deaths proportionate or acceptable.

I know that good work has already been done, recent years have seen lifeboats become mandatory on vessels, additional safety training for jigging crews in the Town Hall in Stanley before vessels return to sea after getting their licences, and I understand that vessels do come back to Stanley to treat sick or injured crew in the KEMH. These are all important parts of the protective network which save lives. But if these have been established and deaths are still seen in this quantity, then something more needs to be done

I can’t pretend to know exactly what is needed to prevent further deaths like this one, be it from our Fisheries Department, local fishing companies, or companies in Korea and Taiwan who own these vessels. But something must be done. I’d like to add that at this stage roughly 63.6% of our GDP comes from the fishery, so when we enjoy free education, healthcare, the roads, or near enough any of the comforts which the Falklands have to offer, we’re complicit.

Nicholas Roberts