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5. International standards and activities
relevant to safety and health issues
in the fishing industry

This chapter reviews work at the international level to improve safety and health in the fishing industry. It describes the ILO's general safety and health standards and activities and its work specifically concerning fishing. This is followed by a discussion of some of the standards and activities of the United Nations and other United Nations system specialized agencies related to the safety and health of fishermen.

International Labour Organization

The ILO has an extensive and long-standing programme concerning occupational safety and health for all workers. This work is reflected in international labour standards, codes of practice and other publications, as well as in technical cooperation activities.

Occupational safety and health Conventions
and Recommendations

The ILO has adopted about 70 Conventions and Recommendations which concern occupational safety and health. These standards broadly fall into four groups or categories.

The first group includes standards which aim at guiding policies for action. This includes the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155)⁽¹⁾ (and the corresponding Recommendation No. 164), which prescribes the adoption of a coherent national policy on occupational safety, occupational health and the working environment. This Convention calls for measures to be taken to ensure tripartite participation in the formulation, implementation and review of policies and practical measures; it establishes the basic principles governing employers' responsibilities at the level of the undertaking (such as the provision of a safer workplace, adequate protective clothing and equipment, and measures to deal with emergencies and accidents, including adequate first-aid arrangements); and it provides that arrangements made at the level of the undertaking should ensure that workers take certain actions (such as reasonable care, compliance with instructions, use of safety devices and protective equipment, reporting hazards to supervisors and reporting accidents and injuries). In Article 19(f), it provides that the worker should report immediately any situation found to present an imminent and serious danger to life or health. The Convention also states that occupational safety and health measures should not involve any expenditure for the workers. Although Convention No. 155 applies to all branches of economic activity, member States may, after due consultation, exclude particular branches of activity, including fishing, from its application.⁽²⁾ The Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985 (No. 161), and Recommendation (No. 171) provide for the establishment of occupational health services.

The second group provides for protection in certain branches of economic activity. Though there is no occupational safety and health standard specific to fishing, there are Conventions concerning seafarers⁽³⁾ and dockworkers. Possible standards concerning occupational safety and health in agriculture are also under consideration.⁽⁴⁾

The third group highlights measures of protection, such as guarding of machinery, medical examination, maximum weight of loads to be transported by a single worker.

The fourth group provides for protection against specific risks, such as ionizing radiation, benzene, asbestos, prevention of occupational cancer, prevention of air pollution, noise and vibration in the working environment and safety in the use of chemicals, including the prevention of major industrial accidents.

Codes and other work

The ILO also prepares codes, guidelines and other publications on occupational safety and health issues. Examples include the code of practice Protection of workers against noise and vibration in the working environment, the code of practice Accident prevention on board ship at sea and in port, and the code of practice Recording and notification of occupational accidents and diseases. The last of these represents an attempt to develop the basic requirements for the collection, recording and notification of reliable data on occupational accidents, diseases and related statistics. These are classified according to the nature of the injury, the bodily location of the injury, the type of accident and/or the agency. The code may be of use in the harmonization of data on occupational safety and health in fishing.

International hazard datasheets on occupations

The ILO is preparing international hazard datasheets on occupations. These provide information on the hazards, risks and notions of prevention related to specific occupations. They are intended for those professionally concerned with health and safety at work, including occupational physicians and nurses, safety engineers, hygienists, education and information specialists, inspectors, employers' representatives, workers' representatives, safety officers and other competent persons. The datasheets list in a standard format different hazards to which a worker may be exposed, in the normal course work, and suggest measures to prevent accidents and diseases. They can be used to develop informational and instructional materials (such as curricula, guidelines, checklists, codes of practice and warning notes) and to select measures either to abate or reduce the risk of exposure.

The datasheets consist of four pages covering information on the most relevant hazards related to the occupation; a detailed and systematized presentation on the different hazards related to the job, with indicators for preventive measures; suggestions for preventive measures for selected hazards; and specialized information for occupational safety and health professionals, including a brief job description, notes and references. The ILO is considering developing datasheets for the fishing sector.⁽⁵⁾

Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety

The Encyclopaedia provides coverage of the core and allied fields encompassing occupational health and safety. It is aimed at the specialist and non-specialist alike, and is organized and designed to provide critical information in an accessible format. A CD-ROM version includes a powerful search engine. The Encyclopaedia includes a chapter on fishing.⁽⁶⁾

International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS)

The CIS is a worldwide service dedicated to the collection and dissemination of information on the prevention of occupational accidents and diseases. It is assisted in its work by over 120 national institutions around the world (its national and collaborating centres) which deal with OSH matters in their own countries. The CIS makes its database available to users in several formats. The following types of documents concerned with OSH are covered - legislation, regulation and directives; chemical safety datasheets; trainin materials and methods; audiovisual aids, computer databases, Internet pages, multimedia training modules; articles in scientific, technical and medical journals; reaserch reports, codes of practice, technical datasheets; textbooks; monographs aimed at specialized and popular audiences. The CIS contains - and welcomes - documents concerning safety and health in fishing⁽⁷⁾.

Technical advisory services

The ILO provides technical assistance to member States to assist them in defining and implementing a coherent occupational safety and health policy to strengthen specialized institutions and services, to organize appropriate training and to encourage employers and workers to work together to establish better conditions of occupational safety and health. The ILO has technical experience in bringing together principal agencies, institutions and organizations to establish decentralized networks with a view to exchanging knowledge and information on occupational safety and health or to establishing collaboration, coordination and networking among these agencies, institutions and organizations. Such networks are not directed but rather facilitated, with each participating institution being on an equal footing.

ILO SafeWork programme

The ILO's SafeWork programme aims at: (1) creating worldwide awareness of the dimensions and consequences of work-related accidents, injuries and diseases; (2) promoting the goal of basic protection for all workers in conformity with international labour standards; (3) enhancing the capacity of member States and industry to design and implement effective preventive and protective policies and programmes. It targets, among others, workers in highly hazardous occupations, including fishing.

Statistics on occupational injuries

The ILO collects statistical data on occupational injuries submitted by over 110 member States and other territories and publishes it in its Yearbook of Labour Statistics. However, the value of the published information for this study is limited in respect of the fishing sector for several reasons, including the fact that fishing statistics are shown for only a restricted number of countries and the definition of "fishermen", "fisher" or "fishing" may not be clear. In addition, most States do not submit statistics specifically related to fishing, and in many cases statistics on occupational injuries in the fishing industry are included in the more general category of "agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing" (ISIC, Rev. 2, Major Division 1).⁽⁸⁾

To obtain more statistics on occupational injuries in the fishing industry, it would therefore be useful if all countries could adopt a classification scheme which is convertible to ISIC Rev. 3, as recommended by the ILO.⁽⁹⁾

Another important issue governing the availability to the ILO of statistics of occupational injuries for the fishing industry relates to the coverage of the sources of the statistics. The principal sources of data are schemes for the compensation of occupational injuries and systems for the notification of occupational injuries. Both types of source tend to cover only the formal sector, so that informal sector activities (which may include fishing) are excluded. Many reporting schemes cover only a limited number of major activities, such as manufacturing, and are often restricted to employees for whom the compensation or notification of occupational injuries is compulsory according to laws or regulations. Where the entity employs only a few people, or where the self-employed are also covered, this may be on a voluntary basis, so that their coverage is generally only partial, at best.

Furthermore, statistics published by the ILO cover between 50 and 90 per cent of total employment for most countries and as little as 10 per cent for a few countries. In most countries, there is also a limit on the severity of occupational injuries for which compensation is paid or notification is required, and, as a result, the less serious injuries are not included. Where comprehensive coverage is provided for in laws or regulations, many occupational injuries go unreported due to fear of reprisal or increased insurance. States may thus need to consider resorting to collecting information from a variety of sources. As concerns fishing, an accident reported as, for example, "washed overboard" may not fit conveniently into a classification of accidents covering all other types of work. Because of the small number of such accidents in comparison with others it may be classified in a "residual" category, and thus disappear.

ILO standards relating to fishermen

The ILO's Committee on Conditions of Work in the Fishing Industry has traditionally discussed issues in this sector. The Committee met in 1954, 1962, 1978 and 1988, and on the last of these occasions discussed systems of remuneration and earnings, occupational adaptation to technical changes in the fishing industry, and the social and economic needs of small-scale fishermen and of rural fishing communities. Fishing safety and health was touched upon in the context of these topics.

The International Labour Conference adopted international labour standards concerning fishermen at its 1920, 1959 and 1996 sessions. A total of seven instruments were adopted, all of which directly or indirectly concern safety and health in the fishing industry. Brief descriptions of these standards, which generally apply to maritime fishing in salt waters, and which all call for consultation with fishing vessel owners and fishermen's organizations on the subjects concerned, are provided below.⁽¹⁰⁾ Chapter 6 provides additional information (e.g. ratifications, denunciations, etc.) in connection with the Tripartite Committee's task to review these standards and provide views on whether they are up to date and should be promoted, are in need of revision or are obsolete.

Medical Examination (Fishermen) Convention, 1959 (No. 113)

This Convention generally provides that no person shall be engaged for employment in any capacity on a fishing vessel unless he produces a certificate attesting to his fitness for the work for which he is to be employed at sea. The certificate is to be signed by a medical practitioner who shall be approved by the competent authority. Exemptions are possible, under certain conditions, for vessels not normally at sea for more than three days. It provides that the competent authority is to prescribe the nature of medical examinations and the particulars to be included in medical certificates. There are special requirements for persons less than 21 years of age. There are provisions for further examination by a medical referee in the event a certificate is refused to a fisherman.

Fishermen's Competency Certificates Convention, 1966 (No. 125)

The Convention provides for ratifying States to establish standards of qualification for certificates of competency entitling a person to perform the duties of a skipper, mate or engineer on board a fishing vessel above 25 gross registered tonnes. It also prescribes the minimum age for the issue of a certificate, minimum years of sea service and the subjects on which candidates are to be examined. It provides that an efficient system of inspection is to be ensured. Some of the principles contained in this Convention have also been included in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel, 1995 (STCW-F Convention) (see below).

Vocational Training (Fishermen) Recommendation, 1966 (No. 126)

This Recommendation applies to all training for work on board fishing vessels. It provides for national planning and coordination, financing and standard setting for such training. The competent authorities should establish training standards for fishermen and the curricula of the various training programmes should be based on a systematic analysis of the work required in fishing. Training courses should be available for working fishermen. Training methods should be effective and have regard to the nature of the courses, the trainees' experience, general education and age and the demonstration equipment and financial support available. The Recommendation specifically calls for training in "safety at sea and safety in handling fishing gear, including such matters as stability, effects of icing, fire-fighting, water-tight integrity, personal safety, gear and machinery safeguards, rigging safety measures, engine-room safety, lifeboat handling, use of inflatable life rafts, first aid and medical care and other related matters". It also calls upon countries to "co-operate in promoting fishermen's vocational training, particularly in developing countries".

Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen) Convention, 1966 (No. 126)

This Convention sets out standards for the planning and control of crew accommodation (including plan approval, complaint procedures concerning non-compliance and inspections), crew accommodation requirements, and how these requirements apply to existing ships and new fishing vessels. The requirements concerning crew accommodation are very detailed, covering, among other things, location, construction materials, drainage, ventilation, heating, lighting, sleeping room size, mess rooms, sanitary accommodation, sick bay, medicine chests and galley. Obviously, a great deal of this Convention directly concerns safety and health.

The Convention does not apply to vessels of less than 75 gross registered tonnes unless the competent authority, after agreement with representatives of fishing vessel owners and fishermen's organizations, agrees that it is reasonable and practicable to apply the provisions to vessels between 25 and 75 gross registered tonnes. There are also provisions for using length instead of tonnage as a parameter for the Convention, in which event the Convention does not apply to ships and boats of less than 80 feet (24.4 metres) and, after consultations and if reasonable and practicable, may be applied to those between 45 and 80 feet (13.7 and 24.4 metres). Exceptions may be permitted, under certain conditions, for vessels which normally remain away from their home ports for periods of less than 36 hours and in which the crew does not live permanently.

Hours of Work (Fishing) Recommendation, 1920 (No. 7)

This Recommendation recalls a declaration in the Constitution of the ILO that all industrial communities should endeavour to adopt, so far as their special circumstances will permit, "an eight hours' day or a forty-eight hours' week" as the standard to be aimed at where it has not already been attained. It recommends that member States should enact legislation limiting in this direction the hours of work of all workers employed in the fishing industry, with such special provisions as may be necessary to meet the conditions peculiar to the fishing industry in each country and, in framing such legislation, to consult with the organizations of employers and workers concerned.

Minimum Age (Fishermen) Convention, 1959 (No. 112)

This Convention stipulates that children under the age of 15 years shall not be employed or work on fishing vessels. It provides that children may occasionally take part in the activities on board fishing vessels during holidays, subject to certain conditions (namely, the activities are not harmful to their health or normal development, are not such as to prejudice school attendance, and are not intended for commercial profit). There are also exceptions for work on training vessels, provided the work is approved and supervised by a public authority.

Other ILO Conventions concerning minimum working age and child labour may also be applicable to fishing (see Chapter 6).

Fishermen's Articles of Agreement Convention, 1959 (No. 114)

This Convention provides for articles of agreement for fishermen. These are to be signed by both the owner of the fishing vessel or his authorized representative and by the fisherman. Exceptions are permitted (under certain conditions, and after consultation with fishing vessel owners and fishermen's organizations, certain types and sizes of fishing vessels may be exempted). The Convention includes requirements concerning the particulars to be included in articles of agreement, and the conditions under which they are signed and terminated. Such agreements shall state clearly the respective rights and obligations of each of the parties.

Other ILO work concerning fishermen

The ILO has also worked closely with the FAO and IMO to publish several joint publications concerned, directly or indirectly, with safety and health in fishing. These are described later in this chapter.

As concerns technical cooperation, ILO work includes a project in Viet Nam which aims to improve health and safety in the fishing, fish-processing and construction industries, a project, in Sri Lanka which aims to extend trade union coverage to include fishermen, and occasional national seminars on labour issues in the fishing industry.

Other ILO maritime-related work of possible
relevance or interest to the fishing sector

Maritime labour Conventions and Recommendations which are generally aimed at seafarers but may also be relevant to fishing are discussed in Chapter 6.

The ILO has also adopted several codes and guidelines which, although not written with fishing in mind, may either be useful to the fishing sector or could serve as examples for future work concerning fishing. An example is the Guidelines for conducting pre-sea and periodic medical fitness examinations for seafarers,⁽¹¹⁾ which were developed jointly with the WHO. These aim to harmonize the conduct of medical examinations for seafarers, and cover, among other things, the qualifications of those conducting medical fitness examinations, appeals procedures for seafarers denied medical certificates, privacy, recommended procedures for the conduct of medical examinations, recommended vaccinations and conditions to be considered by medical examiners when deciding whether to issue a medical certificate. The ILO has prepared material concerning the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse problems in the maritime industry. Another publication, Inspection of labour conditions on board ship: Guidelines for procedure, published in 1990, provides guidance to flag and port state control inspectors carrying out inspections of living and working conditions on board merchant ships for compliance with the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147).⁽¹²⁾

United Nations

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, in Part VII "High Seas", Section 1 "General Provisions", Article 94, "Duties of the flag State", paragraph 1, provides that "Every State shall effectively exercise its jurisdiction and control in administrative, technical and social matters over ships flying its flag". Paragraph 3 further provides that "Every State shall take such measures for ships flying its flag as are necessary to ensure safety at sea with regard, inter alia, to: (a) the construction, equipment and seaworthiness of ships; (b) the manning of ships, labour conditions and the training of crews, taking into account the applicable international instruments; (c) the use of signals, the maintenance of communications and the prevention of collisions". The Convention does not exclude fishing vessels from these requirements.

International Maritime Organization

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has the primary responsibility for maritime safety and marine pollution prevention. The IMO is placing increased emphasis on fishing vessel safety.⁽¹³⁾ The following describes the main Conventions and other instruments which may be of direct concern to the safety of fishing vessels and fishermen. Joint FAO/ILO/IMO codes and other work are described later.

IMO instruments relating to the safety of
fishing vessels and fishermen

International Convention for the Safety of  Life at Sea (SOLAS)

The most important IMO instrument concerning safety at sea, the SOLAS Convention, as amended in 1978 and 1988, provides general safety requirements for all vessels in Chapter V.

Torremolinos International Convention for the
Safety of Fishing Vessels, 1977, and the
Torremolinos Protocol of 1993

The Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels (Torremolinos Convention), agreed in 1977, establishes a safety regime for fishing vessels of a length of 24 metres or more. The Convention contained detailed regulations concerning the standards of construction to be applied essentially to new vessels, including the type and nature of equipment of all types which has a bearing on vessel safety. In the ensuing years, the Convention did not receive sufficient ratifications to enter into force, as many States claimed it to be too stringent.

The lack of ratifications, as well as the need for some technical changes, led to a Conference, held again in Torremolinos in 1993, which adopted a Protocol to the 1977 Convention. The Protocol includes provisions concerning construction, watertight integrity and equipment; stability and associated seaworthiness; machinery and electrical installations and periodically unattended machinery spaces; fire protection, fire detection, fire extinction and fire- fighting; protection of the crew; life-saving appliances and arrangements; emergency procedures, musters and drills; radio communications; and shipborne navigational equipment and arrangements. The requirements for protection of the crew concern certain aspects of vessel construction which influence safety -- lifelines, deck openings, bulwarks, rails, guards, stairways and ladders.

The Protocol restricts the obligatory provisions of the Convention to vessels of 45 metres and above. For vessels with a length between 24 and 45 metres, the application of the safety requirements is left to regional decisions (see Chapter 4). It will enter into force one year after 15 States with at least an aggregate fleet of 14,000 vessels (roughly 50 per cent of the world fishing fleet of vessels 24 metres in length and over) have ratified it. As of 2 February 1999, it had been ratified by only five countries.⁽¹⁴⁾

International Convention on Standards of Training,
Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel
Personnel, 1995 (STCW-F Convention)

The STCW-F Convention was adopted in 1995 by an IMO Conference which included 74 representatives from governments, the ILO, the FAO, other United Nations system specialized agencies and several other inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. The Conference also adopted several resolutions relevant to training.

The Convention includes articles covering general obligations; definitions; application; communication of information; other treaties and interpretation; certification; national provisions; control (including port state control); and promotion of technical cooperation. The detailed requirements of the Convention are set out in an annex. Requirements concern skippers and watchkeepers on vessels of 24 metres in length and over, chief engineers and engineering officers on vessels of 750 kW propulsion power or more, and personnel in charge of radio communications. Chapter III of the Annex to the Convention includes requirements for basic safety training for all fishing vessel personnel. As of 2 February 1999, the STCW-F Convention had been ratified by two countries.⁽¹⁵⁾

Other IMO work relating to fishing safety

Resolution A.484(XII): Basic principles to be
observed in keeping a navigational watch on
board fishing vessels

IMO Assembly Resolution A.484(XII), adopted on 19 November 1981, concerns basic principles to be observed in keeping a navigational watch on board fishing vessels. It provides, inter alia, that the competent authority should ensure that owners and operators of fishing vessels, skippers and watchkeeping personnel observe the principles to ensure that a safe navigational watch is maintained at all times.

Reports on casualty statistics concerning fishing
vessels and fishermen at sea

The IMO secretariat each year compiles data received in reports submitted on casualty statistics concerning fishing vessels and fishermen at sea, and submits this information to the appropriate IMO committees and subcommittees. Tables in Chapter 2 of this report include information extracted from the related tables produced by the IMO secretariat. About 20 IMO member States had participated in this reporting scheme at the time the Office prepared this report.⁽¹⁶⁾

Reports on marine casualties and incidents: Harmonized
reporting procedures, reports required under SOLAS
regulation I/21 and MARPOL 73/78, articles 8 and 12⁽¹⁷⁾

These reports concern procedures and formats for the reporting to the IMO of vessel casualties. All categories of vessels are addressed, including fishing vessels, and there is no tonnage limit. Maritime administrations are requested to submit data concerning very serious casualties, serious casualties, less serious casualties and marine incidents. The marine casualty and incident report is to include information not only on the vessel, nature of the casualty, lives lost, time and place of the incident and the initial event leading to the casualty but also on management issues, human factor issues (such as fatigue⁽¹⁸⁾) and other aspects which may reveal the deeper reasons -- the underlying causes -- for the casualty. At the time this report was prepared there had been only very limited reporting of fishing vessel casualties and incidents.

Code for the Investigation of Marine Casualties and Incidents

This Code aims to create a marine casualty investigation process that establishes the circumstances relevant to the casualty, establishes the causal factors, publicizes the causes of the casualty and makes appropriate safety recommendations. It also applies to the investigation of injuries sustained by a person in a casualty resulting in incapacitation for more than 72 hours commencing within seven days from the date of injury. A set of guidelines to assist investigators in the implementation of the Code are included in its Appendix. The Code uses the "Reason's model" approach described in Chapter 2. It is expected that the ILO/IMO Guidelines on investigation of human factors in marine casualties and incidents (prepared by a Joint ILO/IMO Working Group in 1997 and 1998) will be annexed to the Code through an IMO Assembly Resolution.

Other related IMO Conventions and work

Other IMO Conventions which are particularly relevant to safety and health in fishing include the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979, the 1988 (GMDSS) amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS), 1972 (as amended). The International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual, whose purpose is to assist States in meeting search and rescue needs, of course contributes significantly to improving the rescue of fishermen.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The FAO works to improve safety in the fishing industry through the adoption of its own codes, through joint preparation with the ILO and IMO of safety and health codes and guidelines (see below) and through its own technical cooperation programme.

Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries

The Code, which was adopted in 1995 (see also Chapter 1), includes provisions which clearly link responsible fishing to the safety and health of fishermen:

• Article 6, General Principles, paragraph 6.17 provides that "States should ensure that fishing facilities and equipment as well as all fisheries activities allow for safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions and meet internationally agreed standards adopted by relevant international organizations";
• Article 8, Fishing Operations, paragraph 8.1, Duties of all States, provides in subparagraph 8.1.5 that "States should ensure that health and safety standards are adopted for everyone employed in fishing operations. Such standards should be not less than the minimum requirements of relevant international agreements on conditions of work and service";
• Article 8.2, Flag State duties, subparagraph 8.2.5 provides that "Flag States should ensure compliance with appropriate safety requirements for fishing vessels and fishers in accordance with international conventions, internationally agreed codes of practice and voluntary guidelines. States should adopt appropriate safety requirements for all small vessels not covered by such international conventions, codes of practice or voluntary guidelines"; and
• Subparagraph 8.2.10 provides that "In the event of an accident to a fishing vessel or persons on board a fishing vessel, the flag State of the fishing vessel concerned should provide details of the accident to the State of any foreign national on board the vessel involved in the accident. Such information should also, where practicable, be communicated to the International Maritime Organization".

An FAO approach to improving safety

A paper by the FAO Fishery Industries Division,⁽¹⁹⁾ setting out an approach to addressing safety issues in countries with varying fisheries, fishing fleets and levels of development, and drawing on FAO's long experience, deserves particular attention.

The author divides the fishing countries of the world into four categories: Class I -- those with very large industrial fisheries and distant-water fleets and which have more than 60 vessels over 500 tonnes; Class II -- those with at least 100 vessels larger than 50 tonnes, and which have developed economies; Class III -- those with medium-sized industrial fleets (i.e. more than 100 vessels over 50 tonnes) and developing economies; and Class IV -- those with little or no industrial fisheries and moderate to small artisanal fisheries. Class I and II countries are considered able to look after their own needs, and the paper focuses on the latter two categories.

To exist over the long term, training institutions in Class III and IV countries, the author notes, must have a "critical size" staff to allow sufficient breadth of experience and ensure a regular infusion of new personnel. Where the critical size is too small, the problem could be overcome by creating a network of institutions or by combining training with existing fisheries extension services. The paper argues that the FAO, which has considerable experience with such extension services, would be in the best position to encourage integrating safety into extension programmes.

The author points out the importance of identifying the ministry or ministries responsible for training, extension, accident monitoring, legislation enforcement and search and rescue. A suggested systematic methodology for the implementation of safety programmes would include:

• a survey of the fishing craft and their range of operation (classifying vessels by type and area of operation);
• a survey of the types of accidents that have happened in the past (including data on both accidents to vessels and fishermen);⁽²⁰⁾
• an analysis of the surveys and estimation of the work required to establish a safety programme (identifying and prioritizing problem areas, determining the approach -- by vessel size, type of fishing, geographical area, etc. -- and determining whether full-time courses or part-time courses through extension programmes are needed);
• an agreement on which ministry or agency is responsible for each component of the programme to prevent duplication of efforts or conflict of legislation;
• acquiring funds and then implementing the programme; and
• monitoring the effectiveness of the programme.

Technical cooperation activities

The FAO promotes the safety of small-scale and artisanal fishers. For example, the follow-up to a sub-project under the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP)⁽²¹⁾ to develop small offshore fishing boats for Sri Lanka indicated that, in order to improve safety: (1) carefully considered regulations were needed, and (2) information on the design and operational aspects of safe fishing boats should be provided not only to boat owners and crew but also to boatyards. This led to the publication in 1993 of a safety guide for small offshore fishing boats, which provided guidance concerning boats less than 12 metres in length, taking into account experiences from Europe, the United States and Australia. The guide proposes practical and, wherever possible, low-cost solutions to safety problems faced by offshore boats that remain at sea for several days at a time.⁽²³⁾. Following a disastrous cyclone which struck the north-east cosat of India in 1996, the BOBP initiated, along with interested governments and some non-governmental organizations (NGO's), ongoing activities directed at fisherfolk's safety.

The FAO is planning regional activities aimed at improving safety in the Caribbean and the Pacific islands. A Caribbean regional project aims to draft obligatory standards for the construction and modification of fishing vessels and to train fishermen, fishing vessel inspectors and boatbuilders. Caribbean governments are contemplating the enforcement of construction standards for small fishing vessels through amendments to the existing Fisheries Regulations of East Caribbean States (OECS) and Barbados, and the development of a system for the inspection of fishing vessels.⁽²⁴⁾

In Africa, as another example, the FAO is working to improve safety at sea in the context of its Programme for Integrated Development of Artisanal Fisheries in West Africa (IDAF Programme). This Programme covers 20 western African countries, from Mauritania to Angola, and has resulted in at least one subregional workshop on artisanal safety at sea, held in Banjul, Gambia, from 26 to 28 September 1994 (attended primarily by officials from the fisheries departments of the countries concerned). A recent study of accidents at sea between 1989 and 1996 in Angola, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe, focusing on artisanal fisheries, recommended the start of long-term work to train/sensitize the competent authorities; the training of fisheries field officers to enable them to transfer safety knowledge to fishermen; the investigation of whether certain safety equipment could be provided free to fishermen (life jackets, ring buoys, etc.); the training or refresher training of boatbuilders on how to improve traditional canoe designs; the training of fishermen in first aid; and the improvement of the collection and analysis of data on accidents at sea.⁽²⁵⁾ Similar recommendations resulted from a study covering Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Frequently, the safety recommendations of these studies were aimed at fisheries departments.

Joint work of the FAO, ILO, IMO and WHO

The FAO, ILO, IMO and WHO have jointly prepared a number of publications aimed at improving safety and health in the fishing industry.

FAO/ILO/IMO Code of Safety for Fishermen
and Fishing Vessels -- Part A

Part A of the Code, "Safety and Health Practice for Skippers and Crews", aims to provide information with a view to promoting the safety and health of fishermen. It is intended to serve as a guide to those concerned with framing measures for the improvement of safety and health on board fishing vessels but is not a substitute for national laws and regulations. Its scope is limited to basic information necessary for the safe conduct of fishing operations. There are chapters concerning general provisions; navigation; safety of the vessel; safety on deck; safety in fishing operations; safety in machinery spaces and of mechanical equipment; special safety precautions; life-saving appliances; fire precautions and fire fighting; shipboard facilities for personnel, safety organization and conditions for employment; and abandoning vessel, survival and rescue. It also includes several appendices.

As of April 1999 there were no plans to revise this publication.

FAO/ILO/IMO Code of Safety for Fishermen
and Fishing Vessels -- Part B

Part B of the Code, "Safety and Health Requirements for the Construction and Equipment of Fishing Vessels", published in the late 1970s, provides information on the design, construction and equipment of fishing vessels with a view to promoting the safety of the vessel and the safety and health of the crew. It applies to new decked fishing vessels of 24 metres in length which are: (1) intended for fishing operations in unlimited sea areas; (2) intended for fishing operations in sea areas up to 200 nautical miles from a place of shelter; and (3) intended for fishing operations in sea areas up to 50 nautical miles from a place of shelter. It includes chapters covering general provisions; hull and equipment; freeboard, watertight integrity and freeing ports; stability; machinery and electrical installations; fire protection, fire detection, fire extinction and fire-fighting equipment; protection of the crew; life-saving appliances; radiotelegraphy and radiotelephony; shipborne navigational equipment; and crew accommodation. The chapter concerning protection of the crew includes sections on general protective measures; deck openings, stairways and ladders; accommodation ladders and gangways; galleys; winches, tackle and lifting gear; lighting in working spaces; ventilation in working and storage spaces; danger areas; medicine chest; and miscellaneous. The chapter on crew accommodation includes a general section and individual sections on lighting, heating and ventilation; sleeping rooms; mess rooms; sanitary facilities; hospital accommodation; potable water facilities; provision stores; and cooking and beverage facilities.

The IMO has proposed the revision of Part B of the Code. Its Sub-Committee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF) has initial responsibility for this work. In this regard, a correspondence group, coordinated by Iceland,⁽²⁶⁾ will prepare a report to the next session of the SLF (SLF 43) which will be held from 11 to 15 September 2000. The Secretary-General of the IMO has contacted the respective Directors-General of the FAO and ILO and, in keeping with the agreement under which the Code was developed and approved, invited them to take part in this work.

FAO/ILO/IMCO Voluntary Guidelines for
the Design, Construction and Equipment
of Small Fishing Vessels

The Voluntary Guidelines, published in 1980, provide a generally applicable code of safe practice for the design, construction and equipment of smaller fishing vessels (those less than 24 metres in length). They address, among other things, construction, watertight integrity and equipment; stability and associated seaworthiness; machinery and electrical installations; fire protection, fire detection, fire extinction and fire-fighting equipment; protection of the crew; life-saving appliances; radio communications; navigational equipment; and crew accommodation.

The IMO has recently initiated the revision of the Guidelines. The same correspondence group that will prepare a report for SLF 43 on the revision of Part B of the FAO/ILO/IMO Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels will carry out the initial work related to the revision of the Voluntary Guidelines. Again, the FAO and ILO have been invited to take part in this work.

FAO/ILO/IMO Document for Guidance on
Fishermen's Training and Certification
and its revision

As noted in the introduction to this report, the terms of reference of the Tripartite Meeting include "to assess work done by the FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group and by the FAO and the IMO". This refers primarily to the joint FAO/ILO/IMO work to revise the Document for Guidance.

The original Document for Guidance, prepared by a joint FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group in the early 1980s and published in 1985, takes account of the related ILO and IMO Conventions and FAO experience and provides guidance for the institution, amendment or development of national programmes for the vocational training of any category of fishermen. The Document concerns the training and certification of both small-scale and industrial maritime fishermen, although the parts concerning small-scale fishing are rather limited. It notes that programmes for fishermen should be based on an analysis of the prevailing needs and conditions in each particular area and that these programmes should be prepared by competent authorities with organizations involved in the fishing industry and the overall welfare and development of the fishing community. The sociological and educational backgrounds of the fishing community concerned are to be considered to ensure that the standards are realistic and can be attained.

Revision of the Document for Guidance

In 1997 the 68th Session of the Maritime Safety Committee proposed the revision of the Document for Guidance primarily to bring it into line with the provisions of the STCW-F Convention and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. At its 270th Session (November 1997), the ILO's Governing Body considered the proposal and authorized the holding of a Joint FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group on Fishermen's Training in London from 12 to 16 January 1998, with a composition of four representatives from the ILO (two Employer and two Worker), two representatives from the FAO and two from the IMO. Authorization for this work was also given by the FAO. A second session, held in January 1999, was authorized by the 69th Session of the Maritime Safety Committee (May 1998), the 273rd Session of the ILO Governing Body (November 1998) and the FAO.

During these two sessions the FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group considered amendments to the Document for Guidance based on a draft revision submitted by FAO which included, among other things, the functional competence approach used in the IMO's International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended in 1995 (STCW-F Convention) concerning safety aspects, and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries concerning fishing aspects. The Group also prepared guidelines and recommendations for the training and certification of personnel on board fishing vessels of 12 metres in length and over but less than 24 metres, reviewed the requirements and recommendations on prevention of fatigue and prepared guidelines for the prevention of fatigue of fishing vessel personnel. It also considered certain requests by the Maritime Safety Committee concerning resolutions adopted by the STCW-F Conference.⁽²⁷⁾

The draft revised Document for Guidance, which is attached to the FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group's report, will be considered by the IMO's Sub-Committee on Standards of Training and Watchkeeping (STW) in January 2000 and thereafter by the ILO Governing Body and FAO. The 268th (March 1997) Session of the Governing Body agreed that the purpose of the Tripartite Meeting included the assessment of the work done by the FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group.⁽²⁸⁾ The major proposed revisions to the Document for Guidance include bringing it into line with the provisions of the STCW-F Convention, including the addition of a new chapter concerning the "functional skill training option"; adding a new chapter and appendix concerning the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; adding an appendix concerning fatigue; and adding an appendix concerning the principles to be observed in keeping an engineering watch.

The functional skill training option

The chapter of the Document for Guidance concerning the "functional skill training option" provides guidance to national administrations on the use of skills-based training and assessment arrangements in conjunction with the established systems for determining the competence of fishing vessel personnel. The skills-based training system involves different approaches to curricula, methods of teaching, assessment and certification to those traditionally used. It focuses on the ability of a person to perform skilled tasks and the practical application of knowledge in a range of variable operational situations. Competency is determined when the fisherman can prove his ability to perform a predetermined range of skills or functions to an agreed standard.

Fatigue

The draft revised Document for Guidance notes that the STCW-F Convention requires that watchkeeping personnel should not be impaired by fatigue. Fatigue is seen to result in the degradation of human performance and the impairment of rational decision-making and thus has implications for the overall safety of the vessel and for all personnel. Reference is also made to a new appendix which contains information on fatigue and the classification of factors contributing to it. All concerned in the operation of the vessel should be aware of the contributory factors and how the effects of fatigue can prejudice the safe operation of the vessel. The skipper, senior officers and other personnel having a supervisory role should be able to recognize the development of fatigue among the fishing vessel's personnel.

ILO/IMO/WHO International Medical Guide for Ships⁽²⁹⁾

The International Medical Guide for Ships, most recently revised in 1988, aims to enable users to diagnose and treat injured and sick seafarers; to serve as a textbook on medical problems for those studying for a certificate in medical training; and to help in giving crews some training on first aid, and on the prevention of diseases. It covers most types of injuries and illnesses experienced at sea. Chapter 9, Diseases of fishermen, provides advice related to such diseases. Some countries require the Guide, or a national equivalent, to be carried on board. At present there are no plans to revise this publication.

Other international activities

There have also been several other international initiatives aimed at improving the exchange of information on fishing vessel safety. The past decade has witnessed the International Symposium on Safety and Working Conditions aboard Fishing Vessels held in Rimouski, Quebec, Canada, in 1989, and the Second International Symposium on Safety and Working Conditions aboard Fishing Vessels held in Villagarcía de Arosa, in Galicia, Spain, in 1992, as well as the national and international fishing industry and technology conferences and expositions held each year. These events are very valuable as they extend to many important fishing industry interests that may not normally be the focus of international discussions on safety and health issues.

1.  Ratified (as at 1 April 1999) by 30 States: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Viet Nam and Yugoslavia.

2.  The member State has to justify this exclusion and report on progress towards the wider application of the Convention. No States which have ratified the Convention have indicated that they have excluded fishing.

3.  Specific articles from the Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Convention, 1970 (No. 134), were also included in the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 147), which includes a provision promoting the inspection by port States of certain aspects of safety and health on foreign-flag ships visiting port -- "port state control".

4.  At its 271st Session (March 1998), the ILO Governing Body decided to include an item on safety and health in agriculture on the agenda of the 88th Session (2000) of the International Labour Conference. Reasons for pursuing (a) possible standard(s) for safety and health in this sector include that it is one of the most hazardous sectors worldwide; that it is very complex and heterogeneous; that it tends to be omitted from the occupational safety and health regulations of many countries, apart from a few which have a set of special provisions on occupational safety and health relating to agriculture; that comprehensive legislation on occupational safety and health specific to this sector is almost non-existent; and that agricultural workers are excluded from social security benefits.

5.  For further information, including examples of datasheets already developed for other occupations see http://www.ilo.org/public/english/90travai/sechyg/fhazard.htm. Those interested in assisting in the development of datasheets concerning fishing should contact "sechyg@ilo.org".

6.  Articles in this chapter cover a general profile of fishing; indigenous divers, major fishing sectors and processes; psychosocial characteristics of the workforce at sea; psychosocial characteristics of the workforce in on-shore fish processing; social effects of one-industry fishery villages; health problems and disease patterns; musculoskeletal disorders among fishermen and workers in the fish processing industry; and environmental and public health issues in commercial fisheries.

7.  The CIS database is available to the public by paid subscription, as a printed bulletin direct from the CIS and in electronic form (on CD-ROM or via the Internet) from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety at http://ccinfoweb.ccohs.ca, and SilverPlatter Information at http://www.silverplatter. com/catalog/oshr.htm. The printed and CCOHS CD-ROM versions offer the database in French as well as English.

8.  The International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC) has gone through several revisions. Revision 2 (1968) groups fishing with agriculture while Revision 3 lists fishing as a separate major industrial category.

9.  ILO: Sources and methods: Labour statistics (Geneva).

10.  These are only brief summaries; the Office advises that, where possible, the full text of these standards be consulted. They are available from the Office directly or at the ILO website at http://www.ilo.org.

11.  These Guidelines may be seen at http://www.ilo.org/sector.

12.  Convention No. 147 may also be of interest to the Tripartite Meeting when it considers the future of ILO standards concerning fishermen. The Convention, among other things, provides that a State which ratifies it shall undertake to have laws and regulations laying down, for ships registered in its territory, safety standards, social security measures and shipboard conditions of employment (so far as these are not covered by collective agreements or laid down by competent courts in a manner equally binding on the shipowners and seafarers concerned) and to satisfy itself that the provisions of such laws and regulations are substantially equivalent to the Conventions or Articles of Conventions referred to in the Appendix to the Convention (in so far as the Member is not otherwise bound to give effect to the Convention in question).

13.  At its 71st Session (May 1999), the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee agreed to recommend to the IMO Council that "Safety-related aspects of fishing vessels" be included in the long-term work programme of the Organization.

14.  Cuba, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.

15.  Denmark and the Russian Federation.

16.  IMO: Collection and analysis of casualty statistics of fishing vessels and fishermen, note by the secretariat (London, doc. FSI 7/6/2, 29 Jan. 1999). The reports are submitted in response to IMO doc. MSC/Circ.539/Add.2.

17.  IMO doc. MSC/Circ.827, 9 Dec. 1997.

18.  This includes a "Fatigue factors data compilation sheet" taken from MSC/Circ.621, IMO/ILO Guidelines for the investigation of the contribution of fatigue to maritime casualties. The sheet lists what are determined to be the causes of the fatigue which contributed to the accident.

19.  M. Turner: "A guide for the implementation of safety programmes in fisheries", Proceedings of the International Symposium on Safety and Working Conditions aboard Fishing Vessels, Rimouski, Canada, Aug. 1989.

20.  The following categories were suggested: for vessels -- fire, foundering, capsizing, mechanical breakdown, collision and missing; for fishermen -- drowning, injuries from machinery, injuries from fishing gear, burns and scalds, falls and occupational illness.

21.  A regional fisheries programme covering Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

22.  Ø. Gulbrandsen and G. Pajot: "A safety guide for small offshore fishing boats", in BOBP/MAG/16 (Madras, 1993).

23.  M. Ben-Yami: Risks and dangers in small-scale fisheries: An overview, an unpublished paper.

24.  Ben-Yami, op. cit.

25.  J. Gallene: Data compendium on accidents at sea for six Central African countries (Cotonou, FAO, Oct. 1997), Technical report No. 116.

26.  Iceland has established a website for this work at http://www.sigling.is/imo/imofishing/home.htm.

27.  Resolution 3 -- Guidelines and recommendations for fishing vessel personnel; resolution 4 -- Training of deckhands on board fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over; resolution 6 -- Training and certification of personnel on board large fishing vessels; and resolution 7 -- Requirements for officers in charge of an engineering watch and watchkeeping provisions.

28.  IMO: Training and watchkeeping: Report of the Joint FAO/ILO/IMO Working Group on Fishermen's Training (London, doc. MSC 71/6/2, 9 Feb. 1999) is available from the IMO or ILO secretariats. The draft revised Document for Guidance, however, is 280 pages long, in English only, and will not be translated by the IMO into other languages until finalized.

29.  WHO: International Medical Guide for Ships (Geneva, 2nd edition, 1988).

This page was created by RP/CP. Updated by AN/BR. It was approved by BW/OdVR. It was last updated , 13 February 2002.

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