It's becoming easier for fishermen to transition to the merchant fleet

After dialogue between Danish Shipping and the Danish Maritime Authority, the rules have been clarified so that sea time earned in the fishing sector is now considered equivalent to sea time in the merchant fleet when applying for admission to maritime education programmes or when obtaining a first certificate of competency after passing the merchant-ship exam. This change means that fishermen who have passed the merchant-ship exam can have their first certificate of competency issued without additional retraining or an individual skills assessment. Individual case processing will only be used if applying for further rights.

What does this mean for fishermen?

For fishermen considering a transition to the merchant fleet, the pathway is now both shorter and more straight­forward. The experience and sea time already gained from fishing are recognised, so they do not have to start from scratch. This means that fishermen:

  • can obtain relevant certificates of competency more quickly
  • can more easily begin a career on merchant vessels
  • can make more direct use of their existing experience

Recommendation: Contact both the Danish Maritime Authority and the maritime schools

Fishermen who wish to change career paths should be aware of two things:

  • The Danish Maritime Authority should be contacted for registration and approval of sea time, as well as clarification of which certificate of competency can be issued. We recommend making contact via sfs@dma.dk.
  • The maritime schools should be contacted to clarify which subjects or courses may be required. A number of educational elements cannot be obtained through sea time but require school-based instruction, including STCW safety courses, navigation and marine engineering subjects, simulator training, and other educational modules. Contact the maritime educational institutions directly to enquire about which courses and certifications are required to obtain the desired rights.

Although sea time can now be credited more flexibly, there will still be training requirements that can only be completed at the schools in order to obtain full rights. Danish Shipping is working to obtain a more detailed clarification of which specific modules and courses will be required going forward.

What does this mean for the shipping companies?

Shipping companies will now find it easier to:

  • recruit experienced fishermen for smaller or near-coastal vessels
  • have candidates assessed individually by the Danish Maritime Authority
  • offer any required supplementary courses
  • gain faster access to qualified labour