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Program Publicity
Thursday, February 19 2009

Trawlermen
New 5 part series
Begins Wednesday March 18
8.00pm

Whether we sit down to eat a hearty fish pie at home or tuck in to fish and chips from the local takeaway, we give little thought to how the food came from the sea to our plates. It never occurs to us that what we’re enjoying has only been made possible by men who risk their lives in one of the most dangerous professions going, a profession which every year sees 20 men die in Britain alone.

Trawlermen, is a high energy, high adventure observational documentary series, which follows the fortunes of crews who fish for everything from cod and haddock to prawns and monkfish, in some of the most dangerous waters around Britain. The five part series begins on SBS on Wednesday March 18, at 8pm.

Setting sail from the historic harbour of Peterhead in Northeast Scotland, the crews battle the arctic waters of the North Sea and the North Atlantic, where 30 foot waves are commonplace and Force 10 storms an unremarkable event.

Trawlermen offers high action, emotional drama as men pit their wits against sea and nature to bring home food for our tables and wages for their families. They are truly the last great hunters of the wild.

For more information please contact Ashley de Silva on 02 9430 3792.

Episode Outlines

Episode 1: Coming Home
Wednesday, March 18
8.00pm
Prawn boat, Amity, is in the grip of a winter storm, 100 miles from shore. To make matters worse, the nets are caught on the seabed. Amity is stuck fast and in danger of sinking. Skipper Jimmy Buchan and his crew are battling to save the boat - and themselves. Elsewhere, their arch rival, another prawn trawler is filling their nets. Skippered by the young and ambitious James West, Frutiful Bough is one of the most successful prawn boats in Peterhead. If Amity can free herself from the ocean floor she'll have to fight Fruitful Bough, for the prawns at the aptly-named Devil's Hole.

Episode 2: Starting Out
Wednesday, March 25
8.00pm

Fishermen fear nothing more than the power of the sea, especially during a Force 10 winter storm and Jimmy Buchan, skipper of the prawn trawler Amity, is no exception. He has just hours to decide whether to run through the storm to their home port 100 Miles away or try and ride out the storm and hope for the best. Fruitful Bough, another prawn boat, is also wondering what to do - should they face the mountainous seas and gale force winds or lose vital fishing time by taking shelter in the Shetland Islands? Away from the storm, the whitefish boat Ocean Venture isn't catching any valuable haddock. All they're hauling up is cut-price coley and skipper John Buchan is in danger of losing the confidence of his crew. To regain their trust he must make some very tough choices.

Episode 3: The Edge
Thursday, April 1
8.00pm

Ocean Venture has headed north and are fishing at The Edge, only 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Having failed to catch enough fish, skipper John Buchan is taking a huge risk in the deep and treacherous waters of the North Atlantic in a bid to find the perfect catch that will make it all worth while. With the previous night's storm over, Amity gets back to the business of trying to catch prawns. Skipper Jimmy Buchan and his crew are getting desperate. They've been at sea nearly a week and have nothing to show for their efforts except some ripped nets. For a while the fishing is good but as the catches pick up they face a more serious set-back to their trip. But Fruitful Bough, the competition, are filling their hold and are on their way home. The question is, will the get a good enough price at market to give the crew a decent wage?

Episode 4: The Storm
Thursday, April 8
8.00pm

Offshore fishing, the most dangerous job in Britain, has a problem when it comes to getting new recruits. But 17 year old Ryan wants to take up the challenge. He sets out on his first trip on one of the most successful pair trawlers in Britain as they head into the rough Norwegian waters looking for Cod and Haddock. If he doesn't work hard and impress the skipper, Kevin West, he'll be looking for a new job when they come back to port. Elsewhere, skipper Jimmy Buchan on Amity has had to shift grounds and return to the Devil's Hole, one of the most hazardous fishing areas in the North Sea. One unlucky trawl could at worse put his crew and boat in jeopardy, at best could mean the loss of his nets. And John Buchan, skipper of Ocean Venture returns to port with his deep water catch. He's got to get top prices to pay for the boat and the crew, but the market is full and he's facing a lot of competition.

Episode 5: The Great Prawn Hunter
Thursday, April 15
8.00pm

The last of the series which follows the extraordinary lives of the UK's offshore fishermen as they do the most dangerous job in Britain. Jimmy, skipper of the prawn boat Amity, is a hundred miles offshore fishing in one of the most hazardous areas of the North Sea, The Devil's Hole. The engines which bring in his nets are on the brink of failing. If they stop altogether, then he'll have to cut loose his nets, worth £30,000, and return to port with no prawns and no pay. 80 miles away, new recruit 17 year old Ryan, is desperate to impress the boss, skipper Kevin West. Time is running out for Ryan who is desperate to show that he's tough enough for the job.