Careers in Compliance: working at sea

Introduction

Compliance is the operational Division of Marine Scotland and is responsible for managing the coastal, sea and air assets of Marine Scotland. Its role is to ensure compliance with legislation and regulations in the marine environment around Scotland. Staff are split between Victoria Quay, Atlantic Quay and 18 fishery offices around the coast, and those at sea who crew the Protection and Research Vessels, the latter of which we manage in conjunction with our Science Division.

There are a number of different roles that you can do as part of Marine Scotland Compliance Marine Staff and each one requires a different level of knowledge and experience.

Working at sea

On board our ships there are a number of roles, each requiring different levels of sea-going experience and qualifications as specified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and then adopted by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) into UK law. These are all explained in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW).

On our ships, the officers and crew are split between three departments: deck, engineering and catering. Deck officers are also qualified British Sea Fishery Officers, meaning they carry out a dual role on board the vessel.