Award for volunteer Fisherman's Radio Operator

For 34 years, Fishermen in trouble in the rough and often treacherous waters off the coast of Invercargill have reached out to one woman for help. Meri Leask is a volunteer Fisherman's radio operator in Bluff. She keeps an ear out for boats in Foveaux strait, a notorious strech of water that has taken 23 lives since 1998. There in her kitchen, Meri monitors radios and keeps track of where the fishing boats are and passes on messages from families on shore to their loved ones at sea. She has just been given a prestigious award from the Commercial Fishing industry for her selfless service to fishermen.