FISH Safety Foundation

“We sail at Midnight…” . . . . . 45 years ago today – 4 January 1980 – I started my career in the maritime sector. Setting sail at midnight... All these years later, the voyage continues – in a different role, but still all about the sea and its people. And I’m not quite ready to answer the ‘FWE’ call yet! Here’s to a great 2025 my fellow mariners – all those at sea or ashore! #WeAreAllMariners #SafeSeas

25 going on 10… As I enter the tenth year of leading the FISH Safety Foundation (FSF), it’s an opportune time to reflect on who we are, where we come from, what we’ve done so far, and what remains to be done. Although the FSF was only officially established in New Zealand at the beginning of 2016, the initial conceptual and development work was done some 25 years ago in South Africa following a request by Brandt Wagner in the late 1990s to provide input into an #ILO study on fisher safety globally (the origin of the much-quoted 24 000 fisher fatality number). This contact was based on the fishing safety work I had started in 1994 in Southern Africa. Brandt’s request then planted the seed for what we’re doing today! In fact, I’ve recently rediscovered an old article I wrote after the ILO study advocating for the launch of (a) FISH Safety Foundation (a non-profit charity, to promote safety in fishing) in the January 2000 edition of the “Fishing News International’…. On a personal level, as a mariner who first went to sea 45 years ago, and who has always had close ties to the sea, small boats and fishing, working in the broader maritime industry was pretty much a given. In the intervening years following the conceptualisation of the FSF idea, the dream never died, but life intervened…. but since our formal establishment in January 2016 as a totally independent global organisation, we’ve worked tirelessly at promoting improved health and safety outcomes in the fishing industry (see our website for details: www.fishsafety.org), particularly in the small-scale sector in the Global South countries. And along the way, we’ve met and worked with some amazing fishers, communities and wonderfully passionate people who share our vision of a safer fishing industry. Thank you to all our past and present FSF employees, Trustees, Associates, supporters, and friends. Over the past 9 years, we have also worked with (and have been funded by) some fantastic organisations (including #FAO, #IMO, #ILO, #Pew and #LRFoundation). To all these organisations – thank you! Without your support we wouldn’t have been able to play our small part in making the fishing world a safer place. So what’s next? In 2025 we will continue our present projects with #ThaiUnion, and also #DAI on the UK-funded #COAST project. We’re also looking to building on our #FISHER accident reporting and database programme (see: www.fisherproject.org), especially with the support of #BOBPIGO, #PSTU, #GISLI, and others. So, as we start our 10th year (or is that our 25th?) at the FISH Safety Foundation, there’s a lot happening. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to contribute in any way, share ideas, become an Associate, or just say Hi. It’s been a wonderful journey so far, and I look forward to the next phase. I wish all our fishers and mariners – wherever you are in the World – best wishes for a fantastic 2025! Fair Winds and Following Seas….

FISHER Project MOU signed! A fantastic way to end off the year… Last week, the FISH Safety Foundation (FSF) signed a MOU with the Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) to act as our project partner on the ground in Bangladesh as we further implement the FISHER Project – the global fisheries fatality and accident data management system. www.fisherproject.org Our sincere thanks to Professor Dr. Kazi Rafiqul Islam (Vice-Chancellor PSTU) who signed the MOU on behalf of the University, Professor Dr. Md. Sazedul Hoque (Department of Fisheries Technology) who will manage the project collaboration, and the rest of the team at PSTU. The FSF and PSTU have worked together since 2019, and this is a great continuation of that partnership. We already have a MOU with the Bay of Bengal Programme -InterGovernmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO) to implement FISHER in the Bay of Bengal Region, and this agreement with PSTU will help strengthen that. The premise behind the FISHER Project is simple – without accurate and comprehensive data on global fisher fatalities (how many fishers die, how they die, why they die…) – we can’t be sure that our current interventions are correctly targeted, cost-effective and actually do reduce the unacceptably high fatality rate (see our earlier research showing 100 000+ annual fatalities: https://lnkd.in/ek7kc3bv). We need more data, and this partnership will contribute massively to that goal! Thank you to the whole team at PSTU. We look forward to working with you. #FISHSafetyFoundation #PSTU #FISHERproject

There are always lessons to be learned from tragedy..... It's up to us to learn them. #FisherSafety #MAIB #FISHSafetyFoundation

Welcome back Vivien Deloge - you've been missed! Here's the latest The Pew Charitable Trusts #InternationalFisheriesNews From Vivien: Hi everyone, due to popular demand, I am happy to keep showcasing Pew's International Fisheries News on LinkedIn! Have a good read : ) 🟢 News from Canada, China, EU, Fiji, Indonesia, Guyana, Nigeria, Pacific, Panama, Senegal, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, USA, ICAAT, WCPFC & more 🟢 Must Read: In Western and Central Pacific Ocean, Fisheries Managers Must Step Up, by The Pew Charitable Trusts #FISHSafetyFoundation #Pew #CoalitionForFisheriesTranparency

Today (21 November) is World Fisheries Day. While we celebrate the millions of fishers across the world, let's not forget the crucial role they play in feeding their families, their communities, and the world. #WorldFisheriesDay is also a day to reflect on the importance of sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world, the work still to do to strengthen human rights for the small-scale fishing communities and to make a true difference in the safety and working conditions of fishing communities, as well as to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The FISH Safety Foundation continues to work globally on these important issues. #FISHSafetyFoundation #FisherSafety

The International Labour Organization’s 8.7 Accelerator Lab #MultiPartner Fund project was delighted to hold its latest Technical Advisory Committee meeting today in Cape Town, South Africa 🇿🇦 to discuss progress on the survey in #DecentWork in Marine #Fishing and the way forward for a second phase of the project, with the partnership of Government, employers, and workers organisations in the sector. Many thanks to FISH Safety Foundation for the excellent work on supporting the survey, and to our Technical Specialists from the ILO # Pretoria office. #sustainability #SocialDialogue Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) ILO PARTNERSHIPS

Fishing remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the world – hazards include exposure to noise, vibration, chemicals, fatigue, extreme heat, ultraviolet radiation and musculoskeletal disorders. IOSH magazine explains what can be done to achieve desperately needed improvement in the health, safety and wellbeing of those working in the industry. The video and article link is available here: https://lnkd.in/gwi7d_nD and https://lnkd.in/g6Vkb9c2 #FISHSafetyFoundation #IOSH #FishingSafetyMatters

The value of Real #Data The more we work with fishers in the Global South countries, the more we realise just how important accurate region- and sector-specific data is - and also that we can't simply extrapolate data from European and North American countries, for example, when we try and address fishing safety issues. Fishing, and fishing hazards / casualty causes / fatalities / etc, are very different across the world! And in our experience, nothing beats speaking to those who know what's really going on..... In addition to the FISH Safety Foundation's FISHER Project work (www.fisherproject.org), we also manage a constantly-updated 'Global Fishing Fatality Database' (https://lnkd.in/gSi_wKuB) where we record (unverified) information found in various media sources. Looking at the last 3 entries for example, illustrates just how complex the fisher safety picture is: * 26 Indian fishermen died in Pakistan custody in last 10 years: Report * Shot dead by Navy... * Myanmar: (7) Fisher deaths from Diarrhoea There is much to do. If you'd like to help, or find out more, please contact us at eric.holliday@fishsafety.org #FISHSafetyFoundation #FisherSafety #RealData

Fishing vessel operations are unique and present their own set of challenges and hazards. The Club is committed to driving the welfare and safety of crews working on board these vessels. Our website provides various guidance, including a range of ‘SAFE by Design’ posters in liaison with FISH Safety Foundation, that promote the use of safe systems and procedures. https://lnkd.in/eXzG-kyN #fishingvessels #safety