FAO’s reaffirmed its commitment to fishing safety at the HLPF Side Event - Advancing Evidence-Based Solutions for Drowning Prevention in Fisheries and the Blue Economy in New York

At the HLPF Side Event Advancing Evidence-Based Solutions for Drowning Prevention in Fisheries and the Blue Economy (15 July 2025), Angélica Jácome, Director of FAO’s Liaison Office with the United Nations in New York, highlighted the urgent need to address the high rate of fatalities in the fishing sector - particularly among small-scale fishers, who face some of the most dangerous working conditions globally. She emphasized that safety at sea is often overlooked in national policies and international development agendas, with limited data, poor enforcement of safety standards, and insufficient access to training, equipment, and social protection. Under its Blue Transformation agenda, FAO is committed to promoting safer, more sustainable fisheries by supporting Members with training, insurance and social protection schemes, and improved vessel safety standards, while working alongside key partners such as the ILO and IMO. Jácome concluded by reaffirming that sustainable fisheries must also be safe fisheries—and called for urgent, coordinated action to protect the lives and livelihoods of fishing communities worldwide.