Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Having been convened at Geneva by the Governing Body of the International Labour Office, and having met in its ninety-sixth Session on 30 May 2007, and

Recognizing that globalization has a profound impact on the fishing sector, and

Noting the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights atWork, 1998, and

Taking into consideration the fundamental rights to be found in the following international labour Conventions: the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98), the Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951 (No. 100), the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), and

Noting the relevant instruments of the International Labour Organization, in particular the Occupational Safety and Health Convention (No. 155) and Recommendation (No. 164), 1981, and the Occupational Health Services Convention (No. 161) and Recommendation (No. 171), 1985, and

Noting, in addition, the Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952 (No. 102), and considering that the provisions of Article 77 of that Convention should not be an obstacle to protection extended by Members to fishers under social security schemes, and

Recognizing that the International Labour Organization considers fishing as a hazardous occupation when compared to other occupations, and

Noting also Article 1, paragraph 3, of the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention (Revised), 2003 (No. 185), and

Mindful of the core mandate of the Organization, which is to promote decent conditions of work, and

Mindful of the need to protect and promote the rights of fishers in this regard, and

Recalling the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982, and

Taking into account the need to revise the following international Conventions adopted by the International Labour Conference specifically concerning the fishing sector, namely the Minimum Age (Fishermen) Convention, 1959 (No. 112), the Medical Examination (Fishermen) Convention, 1959 (No. 113), the Fishermen’s Articles of Agreement Convention, 1959 (No. 114), and the Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen) Convention, 1966 (No. 126), to bring them up to date and to reach a greater number of the world’s fishers, particularly those working on board smaller vessels, and

Noting that the objective of this Convention is to ensure that fishers have decent conditions of work on board fishing vessels with regard to minimum requirements for work on board; conditions of service; accommodation and food; occupational safety and health protection; medical care and social security, and

Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to work in the fishing sector, which is the fourth item on the agenda of the session, and

Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of an international Convention;

adopts this fourteenth day of June of the year two thousand and seven the following Convention, which may be cited as the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007.