FAO GLOBEFISH marks World Fisheries Day with a global webinar on decent work

FAO GLOBEFISH convenes international experts on World Fisheries Day by hosting the webinar “Beyond the catch: Advancing towards dignity and decent work for fisher and fish workers in the sector”

FAO GLOBEFISH organized the virtual event “Beyond the Catch: Advancing towards Dignity and Decent Work for Fishers and Fish Workers in the Sector”, taking place on the World Fisheries Day on 21 November, which offered a timely opportunity to recall the importance role of fishers and fish workers all over the world. The event brought together representatives from international organizations, industry, workers’ representatives, and civil society to discuss concrete ways to improve labour conditions in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

More than 100 participants from across the world joined the event, demonstrating a growing international commitment to safeguarding human and labour rights of fishers and fish workers. Speakers underscored the urgent need to ensure fair, safe, and dignified working conditions, noting that promoting decent work is both a fundamental responsibility and a key pillar for the long-term sustainability and resilience of the sector.

ILO Keynote: Strengthening global labour standards in fisheries

The International Labour Organization (ILO), represented by Christine Bader, Maritime Specialist in the Sectoral Policies Department, presented ongoing efforts to strengthen global labour standards, including the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (C188), the only international legally binding instrument that establishes minimum requirements for work on board fishing vessels, covering issues such as occupational safety and health, written work agreements, medical care, rest hours, and social security.

ILO also shared recent initiatives such as capacity-development programmes to detect and respond to forced labour in commercial fishing operations, and tools to support countries in implementing C188, including the new “Guidelines to promote fair labour market services for migrant fishers”, designed to be practical and user-friendly.

The “Guidelines to promote fair labour market services for migrant fishers” aim to support governments and social partners in fostering fair, effective and sustainable labour market services for migrant fishers. These Guidelines provide clear guidance on the responsibilities of all relevant actors in areas such as recruitment, work agreements, complaint procedures and enforcement measures and other essential aspects. The goal is to ensure fair treatment, protect the rights of migrant fishers and support employers in recruiting and keeping a skilled workforce.

Roundtable insights: Collaboration for fair, inclusive and transparent value chains

The roundtable featured insightful perspectives from Kirill Buketov, International Policy Officer in the Seafood Workers Division at IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations); Claudia Uribe, Delegate at CEIPA (Ecuadorian Chamber of Tuna Industrialists and Processors); Tim Hill, CEO/National Director at Stella Maris UK; and Audun Lem, President of the Technical Scientific Committeeat at Assoittica Italia.

Panellists emphasized that meaningful progress requires strong cooperation and partnerships between governments, industry actors, workers’ organizations and civil society. They highlighted that effective social dialogue mechanisms are essential for identifying challenges at national and local levels, strengthening the application of international instruments, and building more transparent, fair and inclusive fisheries and aquaculture value chains.

As global markets increasingly demand transparency and ethical practices, panellists discussed how existing international frameworks can support governments and private actors in improving labour conditions, particularly in developing countries.

Panellists also shared concrete efforts to enhance the working conditions, safety, and wellbeing of fishers and fish workers. it was stressed the importance of addressing the specific needs of women, young people, migrant workers, and other vulnerable groups to ensure equal opportunities and social inclusion. The need to create more opportunities for small-scale actors along the value chain was emphasized, this by recognizing their essential contribution to the sustainability of the sector.

Main conclusions

The discussions and questions raised during the webinar highlighted a shared recognition that decent work challenges remain widespread across fisheries and aquaculture value chains, including in small-scale fisheries where workers often face limited access to social protection, formal contracts and safe working conditions.

Participants stressed the urgent need to strengthen the implementation of international labour standards, particularly the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (C188), covering areas such as recruitment practices, written work agreements, safety on board, medical care and social protection. Several interventions also emphasized the vulnerability of migrant fishers, especially women and young workers, and highlighted the importance of responsible recruitment processes.

Speakers and attendees agreed that meaningful progress will require stronger cooperation among governments, industry, workers’ organizations and civil society, backed by effective social dialogue mechanisms at national and local levels. Questions from the audience also pointed to the need for approaches that are more inclusive of women and youth, who are often underrepresented in decision-making and face specific barriers in the sector.

Overall, the event underscored the need for holistic, transparent and collaborative approaches to ensure fair, safe and inclusive fisheries and aquaculture value chains.

The video recording of the event is available on the FAO GLOBEFISH YouTube channel, in English. Automatically generated subtitles in English can be activated in the video by clicking the “CC” (Closed Captions) button. To view the subtitles in another language, open the Settings menu (the small gear icon on the lower right of the video), select “Subtitles”, then “Auto-translate”, and choose your preferred language. We invite all to watch the full discussion to explore the insights, experiences and recommendations shared by the speakers.

© FAO/Joaquim dos Santos