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Fisheries

Fighting for a fair future and justice for all fishers.

The ITF represents fishers to advance our rights, safety and working conditions. We work to create a fairer, safer, and more sustainable future for fishers globally. We do this through organising fishers and building union capacity, strategic campaigning and collective bargaining, and holding governments, employers and companies along seafood supply chains accountable for the safety, pay and labour standards of all fishers involved in catching their products.

ISSUES

Fishers and our oceans are under greater pressure than ever before, and fishing is one of the most exploitative industries in the world. Overwork, low pay, and unsafe working conditions are rife throughout the industry, and forced labour or slavery at sea is still commonplace. Seafood companies continue to prioritise profit above all, leading a race to the bottom and exacerbating conditions that are devastating for our oceans and many fishers.

OUR PRIORITIES

  • RAISING INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS

  • ORGANISING FISHERS 

  • SUPPLY CHAIN ACCOUNTABILITY

  • HUMAN & LABOUR RIGHTS

  • SUSTAINABILITY

CONTACT US

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WHAT WE DO

The ITF Fisheries Section works to eliminate labour rights abuse and exploitation through organising, collective bargaining, collective action, and solidarity with fishers globally. The ITF Fisheries Section consists of 91 affiliated unions in 59 countries, representing over 146,000 members.

Our vision is a world where fishers everywhere can:

  • Legally exercise our right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.
  • Receive living wages and benefits for the dangerous and difficult work we do.
  • Work in safe conditions.
  • Are fully protected from labour rights abuses.
  • Access effective grievance procedures and legal remedies.
     

Our goal is to raise standards in the fishing industry and stop the race to the bottom that exploits fishers, and damages our oceans and fish stocks. It is time for fishers to share equally in the massive that global seafood companies make off of our labour.

WHERE WE FOCUS

We work on several fronts to achieve our vision by:

  • Supporting our affiliates.
  • Activating and supporting organising programmes.
  • Strategic campaigning across seafood supply chains.
  • Developing, promoting and implementing national, regional and global collective bargaining and policy initiatives.
  • Campaigning for countries to adopt and enforce the ILO Work in Fishing Convention 188 (C188)..
  • Working with regulatory bodies to ensure decent work for fishers.
     

Our objectives across all of our work include:

  • Developing and promoting global standards for the fisheries industry.
  • Supporting fishers to form unions and build power.
  • Promoting good working conditions and health and safety on board fishing vessels.
  • Providing a platform for its fishers’ unions to connect and learn from each other.
  • Building political or industrial leverage to advance fishers’ rights.
  • Supporting collective bargaining in the workplace.
ON THE GROUND
On the ground
The latest news on the issues affecting us all, and the actions we’re taking to improve our workers' lives and futures.
news

放弃疫苗专利权将能拯救数百万生命,政府必需立刻行动

世界各地的运输工会今日要求各国政府在世界贸易组织(WTO)支持放弃知识产权,以对抗新冠肺炎(Covid-19)。 随着新冠疫情席卷全球各国的心脏地带,尤其是印度,人们正极力敦促各国政府支持印度和南非向世贸组织提出的建议。 该提案呼吁根据《与贸易有关的知识产权协定》(TRIPS)中特别涉及到新冠病毒的“预防、遏制和治疗”条款,紧急放弃知识产权。一些强大的国家和集团正在阻止这一提议。
news

停止对巴勒斯坦平民的暴力

ITF谴责在巴勒斯坦针对儿童和平民的一切暴力。过去几天中,阿克萨清真寺内、圣殿山/圣城沙里夫附近以及以色列和巴勒斯坦之间的暴力行为是世界良知的污点。 ITF强烈谴责以色列部队将维持和平示威和抗议的行动军事化。和平集会是一项基本人权。我们呼吁各方尊重《公民权利及政治权利国际公约》第二十一条,保护我们和平集会的权利。 我们同样谴责对巴勒斯坦总工会秘书阿什拉夫·阿瓦尔(Ashraf Al-A’war
news

必须立即停止压迫,尊重工人公民自由

“ 劳动节 ” 是全世界工人反思的日子。我们看到这么多侵犯人权的行为 - 工人被剥夺了自由结社的权利,言论自由受到压制。捍卫基本人权是我们所有人的责任。 罢工的权利。抗议的权利。自由结社的权利。这些流淌在全球工会主义者血液里的公民自由正受到攻击。我们需要团结起来,肩并肩地说: “停止压迫” 。 今天是劳动节, ITF 及其 2,000 万运输工人呼吁政府、雇主和民间社会尊重我们的权利
news Press Release

政府必须利用卫星技术打击渔业强迫劳动

代表全球数百万渔民发声的国际运输工人联盟( ITF )的渔业代表表示, 一项由美国研究人员进行的新的研究 表明,使用卫星数据有助于揭示该行业侵犯劳工权利的程度,以及执法部门如何可以使用这一技术打击现代奴役制和渔船上的人口贩运。 ITF 渔业部协调员 Rossen Karavatchev 说,尽管 ITF 对于研究人员发现大型工业渔船上有多达 10 万名工人被迫从事强迫劳动的结论并不感到惊奇
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OUR PEOPLE

The ITF Fisheries Section Committee works democratically to decide the issues we focus on. The Committee brings together affiliated unions from all regions, as well as women and young workers representatives. We fight to achieve global justice for fishers through global solidarity, by building regional and global connections, and by engaging with governments, employers, other global and national trade unions, civil society and environmental organisations.

Contact us

 

SECTION COORDINATOR

Rossen Karavatchev

 

FISHERIES EXPERTS

Chris Williams

Michael O'Brien

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SECTION COMMITTEE

Johnny Hansen

NSU
,
Norway
ITF Fisheries Section Chair

Kenji Takahashi

JSU
,
Japan
1st Vice Chair

Angel Juan Navarro

SOMU
,
Argentina
2nd Vice Chair

Sylvie Roux

CFDT
,
France
Fisheries

Jorge Alejandro Vargas

SOMU
,
Argentina
Vice Chair (Youth)
AFRICA

Barthelemy Yao Kouassi

SYMAPECI
,
Côte d'Ivoire
Chair

Daniel Koranteng

MDU
,
Ghana
Vice Chair

Vacant

Vice Chair
ARAB WORLD

Vacant

Chair
ASIA/PACIFIC

Kenji Takahashi

JSU
,
Japan
Chair

Tae Kil Chung

FKSU
,
Korea
Vice Chair

Genta Sumarlan

KPI
,
Indonesia
Vice Chair

Vacant

Vice Chair

Ashiqul Alam Chowdhury

BNSF
,
Bangladesh
Member
EUROPE (ETF FISHERIES SECTION)

Juan Manuel Trujillo

CC.OO
,
Spain
Chair

Vacant

Regional 1st Vice Chair

Vacant

Regional 2nd Vice Chair

Sylvie Roux

CFDT
,
France
Fisheries

Árni Bjarnason

FFSÍ
,
Iceland
Member

Karsten Kristensen

3F
,
Denmark
Member

Ludovic Peuch

FGTE-CFDT
,
France
Member

José Blanco

FESMC-UGT
,
Spain
Member
Latin America/ Caribbean

Angel Juan Navarro

SOMU
,
Argentina
Chair

Eric Alberto Riffo Paz

SIOMOT
,
Chile
Vice Chair

Vacant

Vice Chair

Vacant

Vice Chair

Hernan Valera

CJOMN
,
Argentina
Vice Chair (Youth)
North America

Vacant

Chair
OUR AFFILIATES

The ITF Fisheries Section has 91 affiliated unions from 59 countries representing 146,000 fishers worldwide.