FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. Report of the Expert Consultation on Best Practices for Safety at Sea in the Fisheries Sector. Rome, 10

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 888

Report of the Expert Consultation on Best Practices for Safety at Sea in the Fisheries Sector

Rome, 10–13 November 2008

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome 2009

ABSTRACT

FAO.
Report of the Expert Consultation on Best Practices for Safety at Sea in the Fisheries Sector. Rome, 10–13 November 2008.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 888. Rome, FAO. 2009. 40p.

This document contains the Report of the Expert Consultation on Best Practices for Safety at Sea in the Fisheries Sector, which was held in Rome, Italy, from 10 to 13 November 2008. The Consultation was convened by the Director-General of FAO to provide guidance to FAO regarding the development of guidelines for best practices to improve safety at sea in the fisheries sector. In its consideration of the draft outline of the guidelines, the Consultation was of the opinion that the principal objective should be the improved safety and health of those working in the fisheries sector through the development of national strategies, and that this objective could be achieved through the use of a set of readily understood guidelines. It was emphasized that the guidelines should ensure a holistic approach so that all factors influencing safety are comprehensively covered, and that awareness raising of safety issues should be accorded high priority.

In its consideration of the strategy and its structure, the Consultation agreed on an outline for the development of these guidelines, based on a series of four interlinked "pillars". Under each of these pillars, three layers of guidance are provided: a first layer directed at the policy level, supported by a second layer setting out more detailed procedures and checklists, and a third layer providing detailed working instructions, case studies and reference material.

The Consultation also made recommendations regarding the scope of the guidelines, the special needs of developing countries, and other specific considerations and goals, as well as on the appropriate next steps that might be taken following the completion of the Consultation.

The draft executive summary of the FAO/NIOSH International Study on Fishing Management Regimes and their impacts on Fishing Safety: Synthesis of Case Reports was considered by the Consultation. The purpose of this study was to document (globally) the relationship between safety at sea and fisheries management practices and to provide practical guidelines for fisheries managers as to how they can help to make commercial fishing safer. The experts agreed with the report's main finding that fisheries management has indirect and direct effects on fishing safety.

The Consultation was funded by the United States National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through the Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organisation (BOBP-IGO), India, and the Government of Norway through the FAO FishCode Programme.

Table of Contents


OPENING OF THE SESSION
ELECTION OF THE CHAIR
BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF THE EXPERT CONSULTATION
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
SAFETY IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR FROM AN FAO PERSPETIVE
FAO/NIOSH STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY AT SEA
DEVELOPMENT OF A DRAFT OUTLINE OF GUIDELINES FOR BEST PRACTICES TO IMPROVE SAFETY AT SEA IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR
		Objectives of the guidelines Safety strategy Guiding principles Scope Target audiences Legal aspect Special requirements of developing countries
IDENTIFICATION OF APPROPRIATE NEXT STEPS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ANY OTHER MATTERS
ADOPTION OF THE REPORT
APPENDIXES
A.	Agenda
B.	List of participants
C.	List of documents
D.	Opening statement by Mr Grimur Valdimarsson, Director, Fish Products and Industry Division, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
E.	International Study on Fishing Management Regimes and their impacts on Fishing Safety: Synthesis of Case Reports – Draft Executive Summary
F.	Outline of Proposed Guidelines for Best Practices to Improve Safety at Sea in the Fisheries Sector

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ISBN 978-92-5-106195-4

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