Bay of Bengal News - December 2005 1 Editorial SeaSea safetysafety forfor small-scalesmall-scale fishermen:fishermen: MovingMoving fromfrom rhetoricrhetoric toto actionaction rom February 1 to 7, some 70 It is therefore pertinent to recall the safety of small-scale fishermen, they experts from many countries efforts of the BOBP and the IGO in are not commensurate with the Fwill meet in Mahabalipuram this area. Four years ago, the magnitude of the problem.” for IFISH-3, the Third International Chennai Declaration on sea safety Life jackets have been distributed to Fishing Industry Safety and Health for artisanal and small-scale fishermen, subsidies have been Conference. It is being organised fishermen was adopted at a regional given for the Global Positioning jointly by the BOBP-IGO, the FAO workshop in Chennai (See box). System (GPS). In India, a of the United Nations and the Leading representatives from the comprehensive marine policy says Alaska Field Station of the National seven member-countries of BOBP at that sea safety issues ought to be Institute for Occupational Safety that time (Bangladesh, India, addressed, but it contains no and Health, USA. Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Sri specifics. This is the first time IFISH is being Lanka, Thailand) attended. In small-scale fisheries, the concept held outside the U.S. Appropriately Let us re-visit the Chennai of co-management is coming into enough, the conference will place a Declaration, study its focus. The success of community- special emphasis on the safety and recommendations and the action based fisheries management health of small-scale fishermen. taken since by governments, (CBFM) has been demonstrated fishermen, NGOs and others. This issue therefore focuses on sea successfully in the past. (The safety issues. Pages 6 to 11 Integration of safety issues into BOBP-supported extension services summarise the report of Mr Agnar member-countries’ fisheries policy project in Ranong Province, Erlingsson, consultant who visited and holistic fisheries management Thailand, is an example. However, four countries of the region and did frameworks: As Mr Agnar this project had no sea safety a comprehensive survey of sea Erlingsson puts it, “While some component.) Wherever CBFM is safety for small-scale fishermen. efforts are being made at provincial strong, it would provide an entry and national levels to improve the point for sea safety. 2 Bay of Bengal News - December 2005 Fisheries and maritime exercise. It’s a question of attitude. administrations should enhance The fisher should be aware of the their knowledge of the operations dangers he faces and co-operate and constraints of artisanal and with efforts to reduce the danger. small-scale fisheries sectors …. Fisheries departments need to work Unlike commercial fishing and with fisheries co-operative societies registered vessels, small-scale and fisheries associations to spread fishing boats are so numerous and the message of safety. so varied in size, capacity, engine power and operational range, that Financial and other incentives to it’s an enormously challenging task encourage the wide use of safety for any government to set norms or equipment: These should be linked certify safety. The government to registration of boats and should organise studies and compliance with safety and training programs that systematically set out regulations, as consultant Erlingsson the status of fishing boats. points out. The following extracts from an FAO Strategies to involve the participation of fisher report on sea safety are enlightening: communities: Sea safety campaigns may flop unless the fishing “Some of the factors which have community is fully involved in the made fishing the most dangerous Legislation, regulation and enforcement at the national level: The remarks of consultant Agnar Excerpts from Chennai Declaration Erlingsson (pages 6-10) are pertinent. 1. Sea safety issues should be comprehensively integrated into member To take his comments on Tamil countries’ fishery policy and management frameworks. Nadu, there are no regulations for design and construction of fishing 2. Legislation, regulation and enforcement at the national level. boats. Fibre-reinforced plastic 3. Measures for a harmonized and holistic fisheries management (FRP) boats are of poor quality. framework for the Bay of Bengal. Enforcement of rules for safety 4. Incorporation of the FAO/IMO/ILO voluntary guidelines for the equipment is lacking. He design, construction and equipment of small fishing vessels and the recommends a process of FAO/IMO/ILO document for guidance on the training and certification of boatyards certification of fishing vessel personnel into regulatory frameworks, manufacturing FRP boats, training as appropriate. of boat surveyors, encouraging 5. Fisheries and maritime administrations should enhance their registration by linking it to knowledge of the operations and constraints of the artisanal and subsidies, updating of safety small-scale fisheries sectors in order to formulate effective regulations and marine accident guidelines, standards and regulations for the safety of fishing vessels, statistics. including certification and training of crews. Most small-scale fishing boats in 6. Development and implementation of education, training and this region are not insured. There’s awareness programmes which satisfy regulatory requirements, while unfortunately no mechanism to also building a culture of sea safety within artisanal and small-scale make insurance compulsory. fishing communities. Whenever a calamity occurs, the 7. Strategies that involve the participation of fisher communities, entire cost of boat restoration and families, the media and other stakeholders to promote adoption of a rehabilitation has to be borne by the wide range of safety measures. government. A car cannot take the 8. Measures to enhance the economic viability of artisanal and small- road without insurance; a similar scale fishing enterprises as an essential element of sea safety. rule should apply to fishing vessels 9. Financial and other incentives to encourage the wide use of safety in the sea. equipment, and training in the use of such equipment. Incorporation of FAO/IMO/ILO 10. R & D for cost-effective safety-related equipment relevant to the voluntary guidelines for the needs of artisanal and small-scale fisheries. design, construction and 11. Formulate a regional sea safety programme. equipment of small fishing vessels: There’s not much evidence of this 12. Address the issue of sea safety on an urgent basis. happening. Bay of Bengal News - December 2005 3 occupation in the world are: excessive fishing effort; increased competition; reduced profitability; From Alaska to Mahabalipuram economies in vessel maintenance, equipment and manpower; fatigue; Dr George A Conway, Chief of the recklessness; fisheries management Alaska Field Station of the National measures (which do not take Institute for Occupational Safety sufficient account of the human and Health (NIOSH) is one of the element or fishers’ safety into drivers of IFISH-3. He was also a consideration); diversified fishing key figure of IFISH 1 (held in operations unaccompanied by Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA training, traditional experience and in 2000), and IFISH 2 (held in skills. Alaska in 2003). Excerpts from his conversation with Bay of Bengal In developing countries, the News. consequences of loss of life can be How his work with sea safety devastating: widows have a low started: “We have been working on social standing, there is no welfare sea safety issues from 1991, state to support the family and with because Alaska had the highest number of fatalities in the fishing industry lack of alternative sources of in the U.S. (some 35 deaths a year). We were asked to set up surveillance, income, the widow and children prevention, and safety activities. may face destitution. We provided technical assistance to the Coast Guard, and collaborated Effective approaches to safety at sea with the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association and the North everywhere in the world and at all Pacific Vessel Owners’ Association. There were regulations implemented levels, rely on three lines of defense: for cold water fisheries in the U.S. under the Commercial Fishing Vessel • prevention (the most reliable and Sea Safety Act of 1988. That law required such devices as life rafts, personal floatation devices, EPIRBS (Emergency Position Indicating cost-effective component): Radio Beacons) which are satellite-based communication devices. suitable equipment, training, experience, information and The combined effect of all this: the mortality in Alaska fell dramatically, judgement to avoid getting into by more than 70%. It now stands at 10 to 12 deaths per year. trouble in the first place; How did IFISH come about? We held three domestic conferences in the • survival and self-rescue: the U.S. in 1992, 1995 and 1997. The last one, held in Seattle, suggested that equipment, training and attitudes we expand the scope of the conference. Result: IFISH 1 in 2000. There necessary to survive and effect were some 135 participants including FAO and ILO, from 17 countries. self-rescue when things start to IFISH-2 had some 125 participants from 20 countries. The FAO sponsored go wrong; participation by eight developing countries. • Search and Rescue (the most The view was expressed that the next IFISH conference should be held in costly and least reliable of the a developing country, and should emphasise sea safety in small-scale and three levels): systems of alert, artisanal fisheries. Dr Y S Yadava volunteered to host IFISH-3 on behalf of search and rescue, which are BOBP-IGO, and that’s how the conference has moved here. Further, this called upon when the first two was a logical sequel to the Chennai Declaration adopted in October 2001. lines of defense have failed. Any conclusions from IFISH-3 are not mandatory, but we believe that the process of information, discussion and exchange of views among a variety There are a number of areas where of fisheries experts from different parts of the world about safety issues, improvements can be made at the takes both knowledge and constructive action forward.