Labour in fisheries

Towards decent work for fishers in Viet Nam’s blue economy

A recent workshop convened by the ILO and the Viet Nam Institute of Fisheries and Planning identified key challenges and shared recommendations to improve the working conditions of fishers.

19 August 2024

Hanoi, VIET NAM (ILO News) - Viet Nam has achieved remarkable success in expanding its fishing and seafood industry, becoming the third largest exporter of seafood products globally. However, the rapid growth has brought with it challenges in ensuring decent work for fishers. A recent workshop on labour in capture fisheries underscored the importance of improving working and living conditions in marine capture fisheries. Many fishers are employed informally and are not adequately covered by basic labour and social protections.

To support social dialogue on these issues, the ILO collaborated with the Viet Nam Institute of Fisheries and Planning to organize the workshop in Hanoi on 16 August 2024. The gathering aimed to identify the key challenges faced by workers in marine capture fisheries and propose measures to better protect their rights, including through greater alignment with international labour standards.

Workshop on labour in capture fisheries: Current situation, legislation framework and workers' organization

The event revealed the complex and multifaceted regulatory concerns in Viet Nam’s fishing industry. The nature of work in fishing presents unique characteristics that set it apart from other industries and require development of sector-specific legislation and enforcement strategies. Key stakeholders representing the Government, employers and workers shared their diverse views on the current situation for workers in capture fisheries, including fishers from Nghe An and Quang Ngai provinces who provided invaluable first-hand accounts.

The discussions highlighted that traditional employment practices in Viet Nam’s marine capture fisheries, often involving longstanding familial or community ties between fishers and vessel owners, in some cases contribute to the challenges with informal employment. While these relationships have historically fostered strong community bonds in fishing communities, they have also created challenges in ensuring adequate labour protection for workers as the sector has grown and industrialized.

At the workshop, the ILO Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme and the ILO “Addressing informality in Viet Nam through policy coordination and sectoral action” project shared a draft analysis of Viet Nam’s legislation in relation to the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) to obtain inputs from stakeholders. Emphasizing the potential benefits of ratifying Convention No. 188, Benjamin Harkins, ILO Technical Officer, said: "The Work in Fishing Convention establishes minimum requirements for work on board a fishing vessel, conditions of service, accommodation and food, occupational safety and health protection, medical care and social security. By helping to ensure decent work for fishers in Viet Nam, the convention will contribute to more sustainable fisheries and equitable economic growth.”

As Viet Nam continues to expand its role in the global seafood market, ensuring the well-being of its fishers is paramount. The Government of Viet Nam has in recent years taken significant steps to address the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Adopting the relevant international labour standards provided in the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) will enable better protection of the rights of more than half a million Vietnamese fishers who make a critical contribution to the country’s long-term development and prosperity.