Acquisition

Fisher (James) & Sons PLC
18 March 2005

                           James Fisher and Sons plc
                       ('James Fisher' or 'the Company'):
                             £12.0m UK Acquisition

James Fisher, the marine services provider, announces the acquisition of two
privately-owned companies, Fender Care Marine Solutions Ltd and Fender Care
Marine Services Group Ltd ('FenderCare'), a market leader in supplying
large-scale pneumatic fenders to the shipping, offshore, port, construction and
defence industries for a maximum consideration of £12.0million in cash. The
acquisitions are being funded out of existing resources.

FenderCare represents James Fisher's largest marine service acquisition to date
and provides the Company with further market penetration for its growing core UK
marine services division and, significantly, overseas, particularly to the UK
and global defence industries.

The maximum consideration for FenderCare is £12.0million, whereof £11.275million
will be paid on completion and up to a further £740,000 subject to certain earn
out provisions for the financial year ending 31st September 2005. In the year
ended September 2004, FenderCare had a turnover of £17.0 m and a pre-tax profit
of £1.935m. Net assets at that date amounted to £4.7m.

51% of turnover was derived from the UK and the EEC. A significant portion of
FenderCare's turnover arises out of sales to the UK and global defence
industries, including the provision of specialist quayside, onboard and
submarine fendering products.

Tim Harris, Chairman of James Fisher, said:

'The acquisition substantially strengthens James Fisher's growing Marine Support
Services Division which, for the year ended 31 December 2004, contributed 46% of
the Company's operating profit against 15% two years ago and represented 27% of
assets employed. It fits closely with our existing businesses, providing quality
services to the oil majors and FenderCare has also been expanding rapidly in the
Defence sector.'

Yvonne Mason, Chairman of FenderCare, said:

'We established FenderCare in 1988 and have grown it to become a market leader
across it's various market sectors. In James Fisher we see a refreshing attitude
to marine services and are confident that we have found the right strategic home
for Fendercare and our employees. We are committed to remaining with the
business and growing it further within James Fisher'

FenderCare's head office near Norwich, has 65 employees, concentrating on the
sale, rental and refurbishment of floating fendering, mooring systems,
navigation buoys, quayside products and bespoke marine hardware. The Company has
regional offices in Singapore, Nigeria and the Middle East.



FenderCare Marine, the ship-to-ship ('STS') oil transfer and lightering service
provider, is the largest global STS service provider with 19 regional operating
bases throughout the Far and Middle East, Europe, the Mediterranean, the Baltic
and West Africa. In 2004, FenderCare Marine undertook almost 600 ship to ship
transfer operations, involving the lightering of crude oil and refined products.

FenderCare is particularly well known for its longstanding relationship with
Yokohama Fenders, working alongside the manufacturer to develop new designs and
promote alternative end uses for this high quality, proven product.

FenderCare also distributes navigational buoys worldwide under the Hippo
tradename, as well as bollards and other quayside products under the tradename
of EJ Beans. Deck equipment is sold by Turners Marine Trading.

FenderCare greatly complements several of James Fisher's existing marine
services activities, including the MOD, Marine Oil Services and the Scan-Tech
offshore activities in Aberdeen and Norway. The founding shareholders, Yvonne
Mason and her brother Eric Plane, will remain as Chairman and Managing Director
respectively. The Company will continue to operate from its base in Seething, in
Norfolk.

EC Hambro Rabben and Partners Ltd acted as corporate finance advisors to James
Fisher for the acquisition.

ENDS

For further information, please contact:


James Fisher and Sons plc

Tim Harris Chairman 020 7338 5808

FenderCare

Yvonne Mason Chairman 01508 482691

EC Hambro Rabben & Partners

Eivind Rabben 020 7355 4100
Peter Donald 020 7355 4100

Binns & Co PR

Peter Binns 020 7153 1477 / 07768 392 582
Paul McManus 020 7153 1485 / 07980 541 893



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