The Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation (GNFO) has thrown its support behind the establishment of an Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) strategy for the seabob sector.
This is according to a press release from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. It quoted GNFO Chairman Pamashwar Jainarine as saying, “The GNFO is in full support of the development of an Occupational Safety and Health strategy for the Seabob sector. This strategy will help the industry to meet national and international standards and also benefit the fishers who ply their trade in tough conditions by providing them with better awareness on health and safety at work and at the landing sites.”
The release noted that, globally, fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations and casualties can arise from risks of capsizing during operation of gear, nets, engines, ropes, and other equipment on board vessels. The release warned that fishers can also be exposed to viruses and bacterial contamination, harsh weather, risk of drowning, and psychological stressors such as insomnia, fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression, to name a few.
Guyana, it said, is the world’s largest producer of Atlantic seabob, a commercially valued shrimp that is harvested by trawlers and artisanal fishers. An OSH strategy, the release stated, will improve the well-being of workers, improve operational safety and health standards and build long-term sustainability and resilience in the seabob sector. An industry-led strategy can strengthen risk assessments and risk management practices along the seabob value chain while upgrading current policies and practices, it added.
Additionally, an OSH strategy will help export firms maintain compliance with national and international labour standards, as required by the ministries of Labour and Health in Guyana and comply with the labour requirements introduced by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in 2022. Maintaining MSC certification is essential for export market access, and increasingly new European Union regulations are requiring exporting firms to demonstrate how they are meeting internationally recognised standards for labour practices.
The release said that the strategy development process commenced with an initial awareness and assessment of the current OSH conditions, policies, and regulations, followed by a series of consultations among stakeholders for their input into a Risk Assessment and Risk Management Manual. Trawler captains and crews, dock/transport workers, and seafood processing workers and managers will be trained on the safety and health measures of the value chain operations. Artisanal (Chinese seine) seabob fishers will also receive training through the fisherfolk cooperatives on OSH and risk assessment to improve their lives at sea and on land.
President of the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATSOP) Reuben Charles also welcomed the initiative. “We the members of GATSOP welcome this initiative… It will assist with the development of the OSH strategy for the seabob sector. This will ensure… the revised policy meets… the MSC certification process [and] the Ministry of Labour’s OSH requirements,” he was quoted as saying.
The release said the OSH process is being partnered between the Fisheries Department, GNFO, GATSOP, and the FAO through the FISH4ACP programme under the theme “A Safe and Healthy Working Environment is a Fundamental Principle and Right at Work.” The entire process of consultation, development, training, finalising, testing, and endorsement for implementation is expected to be completed within 18 months and handed over fully to the industry, it added.
