iFish6

This session would be useful for the Fish Platform to describe its work in creating a level playing field following the international conventions that apply to fishing vessels. This work is built around the principle of representative power, to ensure that fishers are involved in the development and implementation of international conventions. This session will showcase our solutions to make a shift towards an improved safety culture. Session segments: The Fish Platform This 15-minute slot will introduce the work of the FISH Platform, the world’s largest group of fishing health and safety experts. Through the Fish Platform, we engage with and support like-minded people worldwide to share best practices and collectively find solutions to the biggest problems that have international and national impacts. By working together, we have already successfully influenced international policy and regulation. The Fish Platform with the co-operation of the Nautical Institute, has created the first-ever group of fishermen to be represented at the International Maritime Organization. This was achieved by changing the membership rules of the Nautical Institute to include fishermen. This move has many purposes, but the most important is professional recognition for fishermen equal to their counterparts in military and merchant navies and a collective voice at an international level. The FISH Platform also extended to Asia, with a conference on fishers’ health and safety. The vent gathered much attention and led to the forming an Asian branch of the FISH Platform. The Fishing Safety Management Code The FISH Platform has published the Fishing Safety Management Code, a document that gives guidance to fishing vessel owners and governments on how safety management should be organised. The FSM code was promoted by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee in 2023 and is included as guidance on the IMO Cape Town Agreement webpage. As a real world example, Nigel Blazeby will discuss the work that he has been doing in the South Atlantic with the FSM Code and supporting vessels to gain compliance to C188 and the Cape Town Agreement. Alongside the FSM Code, the Nautical Institute developed an FSM Code Lead Auditor course, which has now trained over 30 auditors internationally. This is an important step towards great transparency and finally creating a visible difference between good fishing vessel operators and the bad actors. The SafetyFolder The SafetyFolder is the longest-running free safety management tool designed for fishing vessels. It has been in use since 2012 and has over 3,000 fishing vessels using the service internationally. In 2024, we intend to expand the service to more countries and with more features. The SafetyFolder includes innovative and easy-to-use tools to support ILO C188 compliance, as well as improved supply chain transparency ion compliance with most Modern Slavery Acts. Fishing Without a Safety Net This study was commissioned by Seafarers UK in 2019 and took place prior to the coronavirus pandemic. The intent was to explore the real financial difficulties inherent in earning a living from fishing. It aimed to identify and develop evidence-based interventions that could support the financial health and resilience of fishers and their families. The research is based on the real financial problems experienced by 431 fishers and their families as identified in the anonymised client and beneficiary data records of three maritime welfare charities: – SAIL (Seafarers’ Advice & Information Line), the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, and Seafarers’ Hospital Society. This analysis was augmented by interviews with fishers and representatives from maritime welfare charities and the fishing industry. With the FISH Platform this work is being promoted as an important ellement in the health and safety of fishers, which is often overlooked. The Seafarers Charity and FISH Platform wish to collaborate and share the solutions for these challenges worldwide.