A training catch for fishery staff : European fisheries are facing daunting challenges. On the one hand, their catches are controlled by quotas and, on the other, the traditional workforce often lacks the skills needed for this increasingly sophisticated industry. This imaginative programme allows fishery workers to bring their skills up to date while working in carefully chosen placements as trainees. The benefits of the scheme extend beyond the trainees and their sending companies, in that the trans-national co-operation of the partner companies and training organisations ensures a Europe-wide exchange of expertise and knowledge. This project started in 2000 and lasted 24 months.