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The Vatican has highlighted the vital work of seafarers along with those individuals fishing the seas and called for their welfare and dignity to be protected.
In a message issued in to commemorate World Fisheries Day on 21 November, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, stressed that those who work on the seas and in fishing must be given a voice and be allowed to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives and work.
He also expressed his gratitude to the chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris (formerly known as Apostleship of the Sea), the UK charity that provides practical and pastoral support, information and a listening ear to those working in fishing and on the seas, both in the UK and worldwide.
The charity's work in parishes and ports around the world "enables the Church be present for and to uphold the dignity" of fishermen and seafarers "who endure long absences from their families, dangerous working conditions and hard days at sea".
This month, the charity participated in an meeting held by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, which brought together governments, employers and workers to help shape new "Guidelines for Fair Labour Market Services for Migrant Fishers", which Stella Maris describes as a “vital framework intended to raise welfare and working conditions across the global fishing industry”.
“One of the biggest challenges is the inconsistency in how different countries handle recruitment and welfare,” said Chaplain Peter Morgan, Stella Maris' UK Advocacy and Policy Officer.
“Migrant fishers can easily fall through the cracks of overlapping systems, where no single authority takes full responsibility for safeguarding their rights. If put into practice effectively, these guidelines could provide a helpful framework for improving protections for fishers around the world.”
He added, “For me, it all connects directly to the human side of the job. When I’m visiting ports, I meet the very people these policies are designed to protect. The issues debated in Geneva, such as pay and medical care, are the same challenges I see every week on the ground.”
While the term “fisherman” is generally used to denote someone involved in fishing, according to fishing organisations representing women’s roles in the industry, women make up approximately half of the global fisheries workforce when considering all sectors, including processing, trading and other secondary activities.
In the primary sector, such as direct fishing, women account for about 15 per cent of those working on the waters, though this figure varies significantly by region and type of fishing, and can reach up to 45 per cent in areas such as Oceania.
Photo: John Mills working in Scotland's last wild native oyster fishery aboard the 1970s' Clyde-built trawler 'Vital Spark' in Cairnryan, Scotland, 31 August 2023 (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
