This factsheet provides background information on the fishing industry and some of the inherent challenges of work in fishing. It aims to help professionals interested in this issue raise their understanding on the specific decent work deficits in this industry and the peculiarities of forced labour in fishing.
In 2020, the global consumption of fish was equivalent to 157 million tonnes1 and is expected to grow to 182 million tonnes by 2032.2 Many stakeholders participate in the process that brings fish to the table, and workers across all continents are involved in this industry and the two main forms of fish production: commercial fishing and aquaculture. Forced labour is a challenge in the sector, particularly in commercial fishing, as documented by two ILO studies.3 Over time, in addition to existing labour standards on forced labour which protect all workers, specific labour standards have been adopted to improve working conditions for fishers, such as the ILO Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 199).
On the ground, several technical cooperation projects have been and are currently being implemented to address the specific challenges that fishers are facing. These projects take place in different countries, notably in major countries of origin of fishers as well as in some other strategic places such as important port States or coastal States. The ILO’s 8.7 Accelerator Lab is an initiative that seeks to accelerate the fight against forced labour in the fishing industry, by replicating promising practices and identifying new solutions.
This factsheet provides background information on the fishing industry and some of the inherent challenges of work in fishing. It aims to help professionals interested in this issue raise their understanding on the specific decent work deficits in this industry, the peculiarities of forced labour in fishing with regard to other sectors, and some important related issues such as social protection. It is supplemented by other documents developed by the ILO, including the factsheet Reporting Forced Labour in Commercial Fishing for journalists and communicators, and the teaching resource Decent Work in the Fishing Industry for business school lecturers.