To prepare for the implementation of ILO C188, the first meeting of a Fishing Industry Safety Group (FISG) to develop a voluntary safety management code has been held.
FISG aims to deliver a Safety Management System (SMS) that can be self-audited with the aim of ensuring UK fishermen have the support of an organised and structured system to help make the necessary changes required.
David Dickens, chief executive at the Fishermen’s Mission, which is involved in the project alongside Human Rights at Sea, stated: “The Fishermen’s Mission welcomes ILO C188 particularly for the focus on appropriate terms and conditions for those working in the UK fishing industry which it is hoped will improve the overall welfare ‘offer’ and reduce deprivation and suffering.”
The ILO C188 Work in Fishing Convention will apply to every fisherman and owner in the UK with requirements for the first time on items such as medicals, crew agreements and safety management.
Seeking to get a clear understanding of all the legal complexities involved, the SMS project will focus on delivering what is right for the individuals concerned. The introduction of similar codes in the Merchant Navy and for domestic commercial vessels have reduced accidents significantly, according to NFFO, which hosted the inaugural FISG meeting at its office in York.
The SMS aims to give every fishing vessel owner in the UK the support needed to help them become compliant with the ILO C188 changes by February 2018. Two UK-wide schemes, the Responsible Fishing Scheme and the free SafetyFolder.co.uk website, are already involved in the project to ensure that they can align with the SMS.
The Safety Folder has already started to trial its SMS with Sea Source in Northern Ireland, and will be discussing it with the Welsh Fisherman’s Safety Committee in August.
