Guidelines for fair labour market services for migrant fishers
In accordance with established procedures, these guidelines will be submitted to the 356th Session (March–April 2026) of the Governing Body of the ILO for its consideration.
The purpose of the Guidelines is to assist governments and the social partners in promoting fair, effective and sustainable labour market services for migrant fishers by providing guidance to and clarifying the roles of all relevant stakeholders in terms of recruitment processes, work agreements, complaint procedures, enforcement measures and other essential aspects aimed at ensuring fair treatment, safeguarding the rights of migrant fishers and supporting employers in recruiting and retaining a suitable skilled workforce.
They are intended to assist States of recruitment; States of origin; flag States; port States; coastal States; labour recruiters; fishing vessel owners; and migrant fishers and their representatives in ensuring fair recruitment and employment practices that protect migrant fishers’ rights and enable employers to recruit and retain skilled and motivated crews efficiently and lawfully.
The Guidelines are accompanied by a set of eight tools to facilitate their implementation (Appendix I). They are supplemented by guidance on methodologies and considerations to strengthen the collection of data on migrant fishers and improve the availability of relevant statistics to support policymaking and monitoring (Appendix II).
