Development and management of inspection systems of labour conditions on board fishing vessels

The fisheries sector produces one of the world’s most valued sources of food, yet fishing is also one of the most challenging and hazardous occupations. Fishers’ fatality and injury rates are much higher than the national averages for workers in many countries. Globally, fishing is ranked as one of the four most dangerous occupations in which to work, in terms of loss of life, serious injuries, and occupational diseases. Working and living conditions are also particularly challenging. Compared to those working in other sectors, many fishers are poorly protected by national labour or maritime laws and are often vulnerable to labour exploitation. In 2007, through the adoption of the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188), governments, fishing vessels owners and fishers’ organizations made it clear that decent working and living conditions on board fishing vessels shall become the rule. The challenge for competent authorities in fishing and their inspectors is how to build (or extend) inspection services. The goal is to cover working and living conditions on board fishing vessels so that fishers have similar levels of labour protection to workers in industry, commerce and services. Knowledgeable and well-trained inspectors are key to an effective implementation of decent work for all fishers. OBJECTIVES The course enabled you to: • review the international instruments regulating work in fishing; • identify the challenges of effective and coordinated inspection systems; • prioritize target vessels (as workplaces), vulnerable groups of fishers; • identify the labour issues to be inspected; • develop policies, procedures and tools for inspecting labour conditions on fishing vessels; • organize the resources of the inspection services; • advise fishing vessel owners, skippers, and – in particular – fishers and workers’ organizations as well as other relevant stakeholders on the best way to comply with the labour regulations and promote decent working and living conditions on fishing vessels; • acquire tools for the promotion, application and enforcement of decent working and living conditions on board fishing vessels in law and in practice. CONTENT The E-learning course has been an opportunity to update knowledge and to facilitate a better understanding of the following topics: • The international framework (inspection and enforcement challenges) and the ILO Convention No. 188 on Work in Fishing (definitions, scope of application, competent authorities); • Planning and managing of inspection systems (risk analysis, strategic and inspection planning, coordination among agencies, establishing complaint procedures; reporting and data, role of Port States, training of inspectors); • What is to be inspected: the key elements of decent working and living conditions on board fishing vessels (roles and responsibilities, valid documents, crew list, fisher’s work agreement, manning, hours of rest, medical certificates and care, occupational safety and health, food and water, accommodation, payment of fishers, minimum age, recruitment and repatriation, complaint procedures); • Fundamental principles and rights (combatting forced and child labour, freedom of association, tackling discrimination, links to fisheries crimes); • Tools for mapping the fishing sector.