A new project has been launched to encourage fishermen to undergo regular eye checks. 

The Fishermen's Mission has partnered with high street opticians Vision Express on the SightFit Project. 

It aims to make it easier for fishermen to access primary eye care and protect their sight for years to come. 

Pilot programmes set up at harbours have found a prevalence of UV damage among fishermen. 

While routine screening can pick up sight problems like glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, fishermen often work long, irregular hours, making it harder for them to attend these appointments. 

This puts them at greater risk of sore, inflamed eyes.  If left untreated, chronic exposure to UV can even lead to significant sight loss, requiring corneal surgery to repair. 

The charity added that some fishermen with sight limitations like myopia go out to sea without wearing glasses, putting themselves and others at risk. 

To encourage more fishermen to make their eye health a priority, free eye check vouchers are being made available at Fishermen's Mission welfare hubs across England and Wales. The scheme is not running in Scotland as eye checks are already free of charge there. 

Fishermen will be able to use the vouchers to have their eyes checked at their nearest Vision Express free of charge.  

"SightFit is a brilliantly simple way to encourage busy fishermen to have their eyes checked, detecting vision problems before they get worse and also keeping them and the rest of their crews, safe while at sea," said Carol Elliott, SightFit Project Manager.

"We are delighted to be working so closely with two prestigious partners who share our passion for improving access to basic healthcare among the country's fishermen."