Article
Human Rights at Sea publishes report on fisheries observer protections & deaths at sea
"Fisheries Observer Deaths at Sea, Human Rights & the Role & Resposibilities of Fisheries Organisations", 1 July 2020
[...] The Report highlights the often challenging and solitary working conditions for Observers who are away at sea without any immediate physical support. It [...] focuses on the ongoing case of the untimely death of the Kiribati Observer Eritara Aati [...].
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[...] [R]ecommendations:
- ...[T]ransparent and unimpeded investigations into all cases of human rights violations against Fisheries Observers and crew [...]
- ...[R]egular engagement of Interpol, alongside flag, port and coastal State authorities, for all violations [...].
- ...[A]ny Observer death, disappearance, illness or injury must be immediately reported to the Observer programmes, and subsequently there should be forfeiture of confidentiality with full disclosure of any VMS data associated with any voyage where an Observer disappears or dies at sea.
- ....[A] mandated provision of personal communication devices independent of any vessel communications electronic systems [...].
- ...[F]isheries certification organisations should mandate all registered vessels...assure: a.) continuous operation of AIS [...]; b.) independent access, review and monitoring of vessel and fleet VMS data; c.) two Observers per vessel, or one Observer plus on-board tamper-proof equipment supporting electronic monitoring.
- ...[F]isheries certification organisations should maintain centralised, consistent, up-to-date, and publicly available lists of all certified vessels [...].
- ....[I]nternational fisheries certification organisations should immediately freeze the certificates of all vessels involved in allegations of human rights abuse until investigations are concluded. [...]
- ...[A]ll fisheries management organisations, fisheries certification organisations and bodies, and fisheries management platforms should have, as a bare minimum, public-facing policies that reflect published business strategies to include fundamental human rights protections [...].
- ...[A]ll fisheries management organisations should introduce internal collation and reporting mechanisms [...] for subsequent investigation by the competent authorities. [...]
- ...[I]n the circumstances of a death at sea, employers must act expeditiously to compensate families for their loss [...].