Freedom of association and collective bargaining are fundamental rights and essential enablers of effective HREDD in fisheries. Where workers are unable to organise, join trade unions or bargain collectively, other abuses are more likely to occur and remain undetected.
Fishers face severe barriers to
Discrimination is a persistent risk throughout fisheries supply chains, on the grounds of nationality, migration status, gender, race, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation and employment status. This is often intensified by the sector’s reliance on migrant labour and complex recruitment
Forced labour and human trafficking are severe and prevalent human rights risks in fisheries. Isolation at sea, weak oversight, complex recruitment systems and worker dependency combine to create conditions in which exploitation flourishes undetected – and in which a worker who wants to leave
Wages, working conditions and living standards remain significant risks in fisheries. Many fishers are paid through share of catch or production-based catch bonus systems that create income instability and incentivise excessive hours and unsafe practices. Workers face deductions for food, equipment
Mental health and psychosocial risks are widespread in fisheries and are closely linked to the systemic conditions of the work. Fishers work in isolated, confined environments for extended periods, separated from family and support networks. Combined with long hours, fatigue, safety-critical
Climate change is reshaping systemic risks within the sector. As fish stocks move or decline, vessels travel further from shore and remain at sea for longer periods, increasing worker isolation, extending exposure to hazardous conditions and heightening dependence on employers and vessel operators
Exposure to fuels, lubricants, chemicals and refrigerants creates additional risks for fishers. Biological hazards, including infectious disease, are compounded by prolonged periods at sea, crowded living conditions aboard and limited access to healthcare – a fisher who falls ill weeks from shore
Long working hours, irregular work patterns, physically demanding tasks and pressure to maximise catches contribute to fatigue and reduced alertness, increasing the likelihood of accidents on a vessel where machinery, heavy loads and an unstable deck are already part of the dangerous working
Fishing remains one of the most hazardous occupations in the world, with an estimated 34,000 fishers dying at work every year according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Fishers face a combination of physical, environmental and psychosocial risks, and prevention requires robust
