Fishers’ Safety and Wellbeing Highlighted at COFI Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management Meeting

The importance of prioritizing the safety, health and wellbeing of fishers and fish workers was highlighted at the Second Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management this past week in Reykjavik, Iceland, during a side event co-organised by FAO, the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety (NEC), and the Norwegian SINTEF research organization. The side event offered helpful insights on how management regimes can inadvertently create both immediate and long-term challenges for workers, but also opportunities for improving the lives and safety of fishers.

The event complemented the discussion from delegates at the Sub-Committee meeting, where they examined the challenges and opportunities for better management of aquatic food resources. Throughout the meeting, the delegates repeatedly called for careful consideration of how management decisions can impact fishers. Strong support was expressed by 20 Member country delegations and organizations for improving safety at sea, working conditions in fisheries. Many delegations welcomed the FAO Guidelines for the Seaworthiness and Safety Inspection of Small Fishing Vessels and the Guidelines for Insurance Value and Risk Assessment of small fishing vessels, and encouraged continued collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including through the ratification and implementation of relevant international instruments addressing labour rights, forced labour and vessel safety.

Speakers at the side event on safety represented specializations in fisheries occupational safety and health, as well as fisheries policy. The session was moderated by Guðmundur Árnason, the permanent secretary Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs and Icelandic representative for Rome based UN agencies. He set the foundation for the discussion by underscoring the importance of fishing to Icelanders and the country’s long effort to reduce fishing-related fatalities. Iceland’s fishing industry is often cited as an example of how responsible use of aquatic resources can be balanced with maintaining a viable fishing industry. In addition to these accomplishments, Iceland has heavily invested in making its fleet safer and passed legislation to reduce working hours and strengthen other safety measures, with low and often no fatalities from year to year.

Dr. Ingunn Marie Holmen, Research Director of SINTEF Ocean’s Department for Fisheries and New Biomarine Industry, started the discussion by presenting research from Norway on how fisheries management measures can influence fisher’s exposures to risks while at fishing. While safety in the fleet has improved over the years, Dr. Holmen noted that certain regulations have unintentionally encouraged riskier behaviors, for example vessel length limitations which can lead to alterations in boat designs, making fishing boats less stable or increasing solo operator fishing and pressures to go to sea in marginal conditions. Although these outcomes are not intentional, closer dialogue between fisheries managers, researchers and fishers may help to prevent and avoid these unintended consequences of management requirements. Dr. Holmen noted that the Norwegian Maritime Authority was tasked by the Parliament to start this dialogue in 2023. As a result, a National Action Plan for zero serious and fatal occupational injuries at sea came into force in Norway in January, 2025. This plan commits the Maritime Authority and the Directorate of Fisheries to join forces and integrate safety considerations into fisheries management.

In addition to the potential for safety risks, Dr. Julie Sorensen, who leads the Northeast Center for Occupational Safety and Health (NEC) and conducts research on fishers’ safety and health in Northeast U.S., discussed concerns about how fisheries management decisions can affect fisher’s mental health. She presented research conducted by collaborators from Massey University in New Zealand (Dr. Fatima Junaid), Denmark’s National Research Center for Work Environment (Sisse Grøn) and the (NEC-including Dr. Sorensen, Dr. Mandy Roome and Kim Gertz). Their findings indicate that psychosocial risks are a prevalent concern for many fish workers, and are particularly linked to fisheries management in highly regulated countries. Examples of how management decisions can impact fishermen’s mental health include the economic impacts of lost income for fishers working in highly regulated countries that also lack social safety nets. Dr. Sorensen also discussed the stress associated with unpredictable management decisions and limited income for fishermen to accommodate proposed changes.

Lastly, Raymon Van Anrooy, FAO’s Senior Fishery Officer, discussed the positive effects that fisheries management decisions could have on safety and insurance in fisheries. He emphasized that vessel and crew insurance is required in other maritime industries, which have a far stronger safety track record globally. Merchant shipping commonly reports less than 300 fatalities per year compared with more than 32,000 deaths per year in fishing. Requiring insurance in fishing could improve safety by requiring vessel inspections and essential safety equipment, as well as safety training, all aimed at reducing accidents, fatalities and losses. Insurance coverage would also provide financial security for fishers in the event that tragedies occur. By ensuring compensation for losses, insurance could help reduce the pressure on fishers to immediately return to sea to recover financially—pressure that can increase the risk of subsequent injuries or fatalities. Dr Van Anrooy gave a short summary of the recently developed FAO Guidelines for the Seaworthiness and Safety Inspection of Small Fishing Vessels  and the Guidelines for Insurance Value and Risk Assessment of Small Fishing Vessels, and emphasized their usefulness for making insurance services available to small-scale fishers.

The session concluded with several questions from delegates and observers including whether insurance schemes could be expanded to cover gear damage, as well as a request for more details regarding a fatality mentioned in Dr. Holmen’s presentation. Participants also commented on a quote shared in Dr. Sorensen’s presentation:

“Everything you think about now today, you’re not thinking about your retirement, you’re not thinking about your grandkids, you’re not thinking about vacation or what the next business day is going to be. It’s like what the hell kind of shoe is going to fall next and what kind of crazy idea are they going to implement on us now.” 

As one participant noted, these words underscore the significant impact that fisheries management decisions such as those discussed during this week’s sub-Committee meeting - can have on the daily lives, wellbeing, and long-term security of fishers.