Fishing

There are over 30 million fishers worldwide. Of these, over 15 million are working full time on board fishing vessels. These workers are generally associated with difficult working and living conditions. They often lack the social benefits generally accorded workers ashore and in many cases do not enjoy a normal family life. Although during the past three to four decades much has been done both nationally and internationally to improve their conditions, fishing is still, and probably always will be, one of the hardest of occupations. The natural disadvantages and hazards of the calling strengthen the case for making every effort to ensure that fishers enjoy the best possible conditions of employment, and that the risks and uncertainties of their occupation are reduced to a minimum.

There is a wide variety of types of fishing. These range from small-scale artisanal fishers fishing on or near the coasts and returning home each day, to more sophisticated sea-going vessels operating well off the coast, to large factory fleets comprising a variety of vessels operating for extended periods (including as much as one year) in harsh, distant waters. Fishers are frequently employed on vessels registered in countries other than their own.