Colombia’s Unemployment Benefit during Closed Seasons (SEDEVEDA)
During the first two days of the workshop, Colombia presented its social protection initiatives for the fisheries and aquaculture sector. The country highlighted its ongoing process to design an unemployment insurance during closed seasons, known as SEDEVEDA, and commended the joint efforts of the inter-institutional group on social protection for fisheries and aquaculture in Colombia (GIPRO).
The SEDEVEDA is rooted in law 2268, which sets the requirements for the unemployment programme during closed seasons. Namely, it established the targeting criteria as well as some key features for the programme's design. As such, the SEDEVEDA is targeted at artisanal commercial and subsistence fishers, seeking to protect their socio-economic sustainability. In line with this, the law sets that the SEDEVEDA must cover at least half a minimum salary for fishers, and that it has to have an alternative livelihood component where fishers engage in other activities to support communities and generate alternative incomes. In addition, the law also foresees a payment for ecosystem services to promote compliance with closed seasons. Finally, the law also sets forth that the SEDEVEDA is to be applied using a territoiral approach and accounting for said nuances.
Given that the SEDEVEDA also targets commercial fishers, they must register with SEPEC, the Colombian system for fishery statistics, underscoring the importance of maintaining a comprehensive database.
The GIPRO was also introduced. This group's aim is to facilitate discussions that will inform decision-making and enhance social protection within the sector. GIPRO collaborates with various entities, including public and private academic institutions, academia, NGOs, and national and regional civil society groups, to strengthen its initiatives. It was established with support from FAO, the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research (NVEMAR), and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) under the SocPro4Fish project and has conducted meetings in Meta, Córdoba, Valle del Cauca, and Nariño to bolster its efforts. Moreover, it is the mechanism with the mandate to regulate law 2268 and therefore, design the SEDEVEDA.
The presentation introduced Law 2268, which focuses on protecting fishers, guaranteeing a living wage and promoting social sustainability. This involves multiple agencies, including the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (AUNAP), the National Maritime Directorate (Dimar), and the National Apprenticeship Service (SENA), and addresses the need for a national census, formalization, and specific sector requirements.
Colombia concluded by presenting its challenges to social protection's extensive coverage in the sector. These challenges include a 94% informality rate in rural employment and issues within the pension system, as well as lack of access to formal social security schemes as many fishers work informally or in temporary jobs which can make it difficult for them to access formal social security schemes such as health, pension and occupational hazards. Similarly, the seasonal and often unpredictable nature of fishing work can lead to job instability, which makes long-term planning and access to the pension system difficult. Another challenge is the significant risk that fishers face and their limited capacity to respond to climate crises and disasters, health, socioeconomic and environmental risks. Finally, many fishers work independently, which can hinder collective bargaining capacity to improve working conditions and ensure adequate social protection.
The Labor Risks Diretion of the Ministry of Labor recognizes the difficulties faced by the fishing sector, and efforts are being made to close the gaps in health and pension coverage through reforms. The main objectives are inclusion in the popular economy and poverty reduction.