By Mamadou Edrisa Njie, reporting from Tangier, Morocco
Mr. Abdennaji Laamrich of the ATLAFCO Secretariat, has, in a presentation on the ‘situation with regard to the relevant international conventions: accession and implementation’, stressed that Member States need to give formal consent to treaties and implement them to the fullest.
He believed the ‘big step forward’ would be if the Member States ratify and implement the existing international and regional instruments in the area of health and safety in the fisheries sector.
Mr. Laamrich was presenting on the second day of the seminar-4th October, 2019-convened in Tangier, Morocco, by the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation Among African States Bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO/COMHAFAT in English & French, respectively). The seminar was attended by 19 Member States out of 22.
“In order to make the application of these measures more effective, there is a need to improve cooperation between the different authorities involved, at national and regional level,” he remarked.
He also suggested the need to create a structure to coordinate all efforts both at national and regional level, aimed at increasing prevention and safety measures in fisheries, adding that this structure would establish common databases and facilitate the exchange of information, experience and know-how.
ATLAFCO’s Laamrich stated that the commitment of the necessary financial resources from the level of the governments and all those involved in the fishing administrations, ship owners and fishermen is central.
According to him, the system of international labor standards takes the form of Conventions and Recommendations, which are negotiated and adopted by the tripartite International Labor Conference, held every year in Geneva, Switzerland.
He said the International Labor Conventions are open to ratification by Member States of the ILO, and he underlined that they are international treaties which are binding on the countries that ratify them under the Constitution of the ILO, when countries voluntarily ratify Conventions.
Laamrich urged that countries that voluntarily ratify the Conventions need to apply them, to ensure that their national laws and practice comply with the requirements of the Conventions, and to accept international supervision.
He informed the seminar that setting international standards for workers in the fisheries sector would protect the fifty million (50m) men and women working in fisheries worldwide, who are operating in a highly dangerous and mostly unregulated profession.
To him, international standards of working and living conditions of those working in fisheries sector need to be relished… thus provide decent work for seafarers and those on board fishing vessels.
Mr. Laamrich noted that setting standards to protect the seafarers’ rights at work, would include employment terms, health and safety as well as the living and working conditions of seafarers.
He added that setting standards for seafarers would also help them access to medical care and social security.
