Gunhild is Safe Fisher of the year 2026

There is a twinkle in her eye when she calls herself a “nice-weather fisher”. Gunhild Blien has in fact stayed put in the boathouse many a time rather than head out in bad weather. Now she has been named Safe Fisher of the year 2026 for her attitude to safety at sea.

— Good safety has to be a habit. We should always be able to guarantee that we come home to our children after we’ve been out fishing, said Blien as she received the award at Skansen, the exhibition area by the sea.

Until 2021 she worked as a teacher. After buying a boat on impulse she decided to change career and become a fisher – and she hasn’t looked back since. Today she fishes for king crab and cod together with her husband Morten, who was the one who nominated her for the award.

About Safe Fisher

Safe Fisher is one of the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue’s initiatives to strengthen safety and safety culture in the fishing fleet through practical advice, drills and sharing knowledge across the industry. The award is presented in cooperation with the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association, the Norwegian Coastal Fishermen’s Association, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and Jotron, who together make up the jury.

This year, 120 nominations were submitted. The nominees ranged from apprentices to experienced skippers, from single-handed fishers to skippers of large vessels.

The jury’s reasoning

The jury emphasises that this year’s winner stands out because safety runs through everything she does at sea.

She is thorough in her preparations, keeps a close eye on wind and weather and takes no chances when conditions become uncertain. Ropes and fenders are in place, the bilge pumping equipment is tested, survival suits are inspected and everything is checked. But what the jury points to above all is the attitude behind the routines.

— Blien plans her fishing so that she is not alone at sea, and she expects the same standard from those she fishes with. If she has any doubts, she waits, turns back or leaves the gear where it is, says a member of the jury at the award ceremony.

— A good safety culture is about sound judgement, good routines and knowing when not to take chances.

Norway’s most dangerous occupation

Blien has experienced for herself how quickly things can go wrong. She once caught her legs in a crab pot and ended up in the water.

— It gave me a real fright. Now I always make sure my feet are planted firmly and I pay attention to how I’m standing, she says.

She is far from alone. No other occupation in Norway has more fatal workplace injuries than fishing, and almost 18 per cent of fishers say they feel pressured to carry on working even when safety is compromised.

— Everyone must come home

Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Marianne Sivertsen Næss was also present at the award ceremony at Skansen.

— Since 2000, 168 professional fishers have lost their lives at sea. That is 168 too many, she says.

The minister pointed out that accidents are often caused by falls overboard or vessels being lost, and that the government has a zero-fatality vision for people working on fishing vessels, covering both deaths and serious injuries. The vision is being followed up through an action plan developed in cooperation with the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the Directorate of Fisheries, the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the police and around 80 organisations and companies.

— No one should die because of their job. Everyone must come home, says Sivertsen Næss, urging everyone in the industry to keep up all the good safety work being done.