HLPF Side Event - Advancing Evidence-Based Solutions for Drowning Prevention in Fisheries and the Blue Economy

Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen and Friends.

At the outset allow me to thank the co-organizers for this important event focused on a vital yet often overlooked issue: drowning prevention in fisheries.

In 1965, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), was given the mandate to serve as the leading inter-governmental agency in the field of fisheries.

We support our 195 Members – that's 194 countries plus the European Union – with policy and technical assistance to ensure sustainable fisheries and aquaculture activities across the value chain.

Despite the steady growth in global fish production, trade and consumption, fishing remains among the most dangerous occupations in the world. Conservative estimates report over 32,000 deaths annually, with new research suggesting the true number may be much higher.

Tragically, small-scale fisheries, which employ 90 percent of workers in capture fisheries worldwide and produce 40 percent of global catch, bear the brunt of these fatalities.

As we will hear today, these deaths and accidents are often due to the lack of safety training, non-existent or poor safety equipment, inadequate radio communications, the unavailability or unaffordability of safer vessels, and safety regulations that are either weak or not enforced.

Broader issues such as poverty, overfishing of coastal resources, unpredictable weather due to climate shocks or illegal fishing further increase the risks for small scale fishers.

Moreover, many fishers also work in the informal labour sector, often without protection under national labour laws or access to social services.

The impacts of accidents are devastating for fishing communities - one fatality can lead to long-term economic and social hardship for entire families.

Yet safety is often not considered a priority. Data on fishers’ safety, casualties and accidents are lacking. Most fisheries policies and legislation tend to focus on the conservation of fisheries resources, rather than on the safety of fishers themselves.

Moreover, small-scale fisheries receive less attention than industrial fleets when it comes to vessel construction, safety standards and safety training programmes for crew.

Through its Blue Transformation agenda, FAO is committed to improving occupational safety and health in fisheries by increasing capacity and access to decent working conditions. FAO provides safety at sea training, technical advice on developing programmes that provide fisheries insurance and social protection and support to enhance safety standards for all fishing vessels.

The FAO Code of conduct for responsible fisheries clearly states that it is the duty of all States to “ensure that fishing facilities and equipment as well as fisheries activities allow for safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions and meet internationally agreed standards adopted by relevant international organizations”.

Now is the time to act.

Allow me to reaffirm FAO’s commitment: sustainable fisheries must also be safe fisheries.

We are proud to be part of the Global Alliance on Drowning Prevention since its inception. We are working with Members and partners, especially the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to develop safety codes and safety guides for fishing crew, build a Global Safety Roadmap, offer safer fishing vessel designs, and foster a stronger safety culture in the fishing industry.

Together we can save lives and build a safer future for fisherfolk.

Thank you