‘A huge achievement’: first woman wins UK’s Fisherman of the Year

Ashley Mullenger talks about the difficulties of finding the right boots and lifejackets, and getting more women into the industry

Being a woman in the male-dominated fishing industry has presented some challenges for Ashley Mullenger, who has become the first woman to win a Fisherman of the Year award.

It's little things like the ankle cut on the boots we wear - for men it's wider and you need to have good ankle support on a boat when you're working on a moving deck. It took me a while to find boots suitable for commercial fishing and for women," she says.