Worker rights and decent work

Decent work respects the human rights and safety of all workers. Discover resources that will help you create the conditions for a safe workplace, free from crime, violence, corruption, and abuse of authority. 

Resources

Sector-wide Human Rights Impact Assessment (SWIA) in small-scale artisanal fishing communities in Barguna and Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh

This report presents the findings of a sector wide human rights impact assessment (SWIA)1 carried out in small-scale artisanal fishing communities in Barguna and Cox’s Bazar Districts in Bangladesh during 2019-2020.

Empowering Marginalised Actors

To empower marginalised actors to become willing and able to engage proactively with more powerful market actors.

IPNLF Human Interest Stories: Susana Sousa

Nestled in the hills of Sao Jorge, Azores, the Santa Catarina Tuna Canning Factory employs over 120 women to process, can and distribute locally caught one-by-one tuna. Learn more about the work of Susana Sousa, an employee of the factory.

Advancing Gender in the Environment: Gender in Fisheries – A Sea of Opportunity

This guide provides an overview of the unique roles and contributions women make in the wild-caught fisheries sector. The guide also explains how persistent gender inequalities limit women’s economic empowerment, and increased risks of gender-based violence negatively impact the potential of women to thrive and contribute towards strong economies.

Assessing inclusion in community-based natural resource management: A framework and methodology

This Guidance Note offers a framework that opens the “black box” of inclusion and removes uncertainty around the meaning of inclusion—in so doing we make clear distinctions between inclusion from more superficial forms or measures, especially attendance. The Guidance Note then presents a set of mixed methods and tools to assess inclusion (and exclusion) using this framework.

FishCounts: increasing the visibility of small-scale fisheries in Cambodia's national planning

This report explores the current state of Cambodia’s fisheries and the data that would be needed to develop such a set of accounts. It considers the country’s existing statistical information and monitoring efforts, and where the gaps, inconsistencies and overlaps lie. It proposes a phased approach to build on what already exists to create greater visibility for the contribution of small-scale fisheries to the national economy and their role in developing sustainable fishing and aquaculture in the face of growing demands and climate change.

Socioeconomic characteristics of hilsa fishers in the Ayeyarwady Delta, Myanmar

The Darwin-Hilsa project is developing an incentive-based system of hilsa fisheries management in Myanmar’s Ayeyarwady Delta. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to assess the socioeconomic status of local fishing households.

Unveiling women's roles and inclusion in Mexican small-scale fisheries (SSF)

The contributions of women to fisheries are often invisible, ignored, and unrecognized even though they represent 47% of the global fisheries workforce, especially in pre- and post-production activities. Poor data systems lead to incorrect assumptions about the gender division of labor in fisheries. This causes the role of women in fisheries to be overlooked. To evaluate the contribution of women in the value chain, a participatory methodology was implemented in three small-scale, fisheries in Mexico: California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus) fishery from the northern Mexican Pacific, penshell (Atrina maura) fishery from the Gulf of California, and Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) fishery from the Mesoamerican Reef region.

Marine Tenure and Small-Scale Fisheries: Learning from the Indonesia Experience

The Indonesia field assessment, conducted from February 19 to March 3, 2017, contributed inputs to an overall strategy on marine tenure that will support the USAID SEA project’s goal to improve the management and sustainability of small-scale fisheries.

Social protection in small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in Latin America and the Caribbean

Taking into account the economic importance of this sector for small-scale producers, as well as its high degree of vulnerability, the aim of this report is to give an overview of the current state of social protection and challenges facing small-scale fishers and fish farmers in Latin America and the Caribbean. It analyses the social protection needs of this population segment, the main social protection programs in the region, and proposes a roadmap with public policy recommendations to promote adequate social protection.

Monterey Framework for Social Responsibility

The Monterey Framework is a collectively agreed-upon definition of socially responsible seafood with input and backing from over two-dozen environmental and human rights organizations and voluntary commitments from an equal number of seafood businesses.

Safety at sea for small-scale fishers

This manual has been made primarily for small-scale fishers who use vessels of less than 12 meters in length. This manual provides examples of accidents that may occur onboard fishing vessels and useful tips to prevent such accidents from happening.

SSF Guidelines: Value chains, post-harvest and trade

This short, animated video gives insights into value chains, post-harvest and trade in small-scale fisheries in small-scale fisheries.

Safety at Sea for small-scale fishers in the Caribbean

This manual on safety at sea for small-scale fishers in the Caribbean aims to contribute to a culture of safety awareness among fisherfolk, reduce the number of accidents and increase the chances of survival if accidents occur. The manual provides guidance on safety matters related to the work on a small-scale fishing vessel (e.g. fire safety, deck safety, lifesaving equipment, lighting and ventilation), personal safety and navigation safety.

The Social Responsibility Assessment Tool for the Seafood Sector

The Social Responsibility Assessment Tool for the Seafood Sector, is useful as a diagnostic, benchmarking, or risk-assessment tool for conducting human rights due diligence in seafood supply chains.

Fishers first: Good practices to end labour exploitation at sea

This report is to present, analyse and share good practices and innovative interventions from around the world aimed at eradicating forced labour and other forms of labour exploitation in the fishing industry.

Handbook for improving living conditions on board fishing vessels

This Handbook on improving living and working conditions on board fishing vessels has been developed to assist competent authorities, representative organizations of employers and workers (in particular, representative organizations of fishing vessel owners and fishers), as well as others with an interest in the sector, in order to gain a better understanding of the provisions of Convention No. 188 and Recommendation No. 199.

Discussions

Dani Meneses

Central America, November 1, 2021. A group of 12 young Costa Ricans working in small-scale artisanal fishing will contribute their experience and knowledge to the SSF HUB digital platform, which gathers information on small-scale fisheries in 19 countries worldwide.