Occupational hazards

Whether working on-board a fishing vessel or in port, fishers are often exposed to occupational hazards. Fishing requires working for long hours at sea, often at night and in rough weather. The work involves transporting and operating heavy equipment and gears and handling of sometimes dangerous catch, as well as processing aquatic animal on board vessels. The work in commercial fisheries can have therefore severe health consequences, cause accidents, occupational injuries, diseasesand fatalities.

Safety and health in fisheries is a complex issue with multiple aspects. Fishing is performed under unpredictable and rapidly changing weather and sea conditions, yet many fishing vessel crew are lacking any form of protection. Many fishing crews, particularly in small-scale fisheries, have only informal and self-employed work arrangements, lack proper employment contracts and have limited or no access to social security, including pensions, disability and health insurance. A large majority of fishing crews worldwide have not received basic health and safety training nor have access to safety gears and protective clothing while working on board, which contributes to their exposure to occupational hazards. In addition, cultural norms and views around masculinity tend to influence the perception of occupational health and safety risks and behaviour of fishers.

Occupational health issues commonly encountered in commercial fisheries include:

• Allergies affecting the lungs and skin associated with handling fish, other aquatic animals and chemicals.
• Skin cancers, from lengthy and unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. 
• Skin infections from handling dead or infested fish or their byproducts.
• Eye disorders, such as sunburned eyes and blurred vision, from overexposure to UV rays from the sun.
• Injuries, from sharp objects on deck, gears or fish handling as well as falls on slippery wet surfaces, getting caught in winches or other machinery.
• Hearing disorders, from working in noisy engine rooms.
• Musculoskeletal disorders, from repetitive manual work and lifting of heavy loads.
• Suicides, from lengthy periods of stress and fatigue.
• Drug and alcohol addictions.