A Scottish vessel is riding high on the crest of a wave after becoming the first fishing boat in the UK to net the major business award, Investors in People (IiP).

The Mallaig based Donna Marie has been awarded Investor in People status for its commitment to business and staff development.

The award was presented to skipper Donald Clarke by Lochaber Ltd chief executive, Jackie Wright at a ceremony held in the Milton Hotel in Fort William last week.

Mr Clarke said: "The crew have worked hard to achieve this award and we are delighted to be the first fishermen nationally to receive it. We decided to pursue the Investors in People standard last year as we saw it as a way of helping us improve the quality of our catch and diversify into non-pressure stock species as well as a way of upgrading working conditions for the crew.

"Crew members have been directly involved in developing new working practices on board. They have completed courses in Sea Survival, First Aid and Fire Fighting and will be attending a Flume Tank Course later this year. I have recently completed Risk Assessment Training".

The Investors in People Standard promotes the development of staff skills in line with business objectives. A total of 72 businesses in the Lochaber region are already recognised and 79 more are working towards the standard.

IiP is a prestigious quality award managed in Lochaber by local enterprise company Lochaber Limited.

Lesley Benfield IiP advisor for Lochaber Limited said: "Many people only associate the IiP standard with traditional business or service activities but the achievement of IiP by the Donna Marie demonstrates how flexible the process is. Clearly fishing is a competitive business and will therefore benefit from a standard that improves efficiency and promotes good practice. Investment in and training of staff is a key element in the successful long-term development of any business venture."

Secretary of the Mallaig & North West Fishermen's Association Hugh Allen said: "We worked very closely with Lochaber Limited to identify and develop a framework for the fishing industry in line with the IiP Standard.

The first beneficiary of this was the Donna Marie. The framework has now been clearly outlined for crews looking for ways to improve their business and a total of eight fishing vessels across the UK are now committed to achieving the standard."