More than 100,000 fishing-related deaths occur each year, a new study finds. Nearly 300 fishers die each day—a much higher estimate than all previous assessments—according to research from the FISH Safety Foundation (FSF) commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The significant death toll disproportionately affects low-income fishers—including children forced into labor—and is predominantly driven by dangerous working conditions and unsafe vessels.
The FSF identified several factors responsible for fisher mortality, including poverty; geopolitical conflict; overfishing; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and climate change. IUU is a significant driver, particularly as the demand for fish protein increases globally. Industrial illegal operators cut corners and ignore safety rules while contributing to the overexploitation of highly profitable catch. This in turn drives what has been identified as “IUU by necessity,” in which small-scale, artisanal fishers are driven to break rules or take part in unregulated, dangerous activities as it becomes more difficult to find fish. These conditions are exacerbated by climate change and the changing distribution of fish stocks.
“While fishing can be inherently risky, the harsh reality is that many of these deaths were and are avoidable. With 3 billion people reliant on seafood and the demand expected to rise, stronger policies are urgently needed to keep fishers safe, including ones that address the true drivers of these deaths,” said Peter Horn, a project director with Pew’s international fisheries project, which is focused on ending and preventing illegal fishing.
There are also existing regulatory frameworks available that are designed to stop illegal fishing and protect fishers. Specifically, countries should ratify and implement the Cape Town Agreement, adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 2012, which sets safety standards for the construction and design of fishing vessels; implement the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, which works to prevent illegally caught fish from entering the seafood supply chain; and continue implementation of the 2007 ILO Work in Fishing Convention C188, which sets standards for living conditions onboard vessels at sea. Member States of regional fishery management organizations should also set clear policies that strengthen efforts to fight IUU fishing and overfishing.