Fishing

Fishing is one of the world's most ancient professions. Fishers on the high seas, along sea coasts, on lakes and on rivers are all People of the Sea.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations estimates that today some 41 million people live from fishing and fish farming. The great majority are in developing countries, especially in Asia. Broadly speaking, there are three categories of fishing: industrial, artesanal and traditional.

Industrial fishing

Industrial fishing is among the hardest of all jobs at sea. Equipment such as radars, sonars and echo sounders are used to locate shoals of fish. Some ships may use cranes to lower and haul in the nets. For seafarers on such ships, work is tiring and dangerous. In addition to managing and repairing nets, they must sort and clean the catch.

In some cases, the catch is collected by other ships which also bring supplies.

On factory ships fish is processed and frozen onboard. Seafarers may spend many months at sea. Those in tropical seas face the danger of cyclones and typhoons: others endure freezing temparatures in polar seas.

click here to read how AOS Taiwan supports workers in industrial fishing

Artesanal fishing

Artesanal fishing is commercial fishing on a much smaller scale. The captain of an artesanal fishing boat is often the owner or part-owner along with a family member who may also be part of the crew. Boats usually return to port after no more than a few days at sea. Some owners invest heavily in modern equipment but are not always able to make a return on their investment.

In some areas imports of foreign fish have led to a drop in local prices. Fresh fish caught locally cannot compete with cheap imports. Artesanal fishers are at the mercy of fluctuating prices, weather and the hazards of the sea.

Traditional fishing

Traditional fishers are by far the most numerous fishers in the world. In general, they catch fish to feed their families and may make a little money selling the surplus. Depending on local tradition and resources, their boats may be dug-out canoes; canoes with a small sail; or larger canoes which take several people. Some use small outboard motors. Equipment is usually traditional nets or lines.

For millions of people living in coastal villages in equatorial and tropical zones, traditional fishing is a way of life. Families may be involved in drying and smoking fish. In some cultures, women are responsible for mending the nets.

International agreements protect the rights of traditional fishers to coastal fish supplies. However traditional fishers may be under threat from bigger boats which fish illegally, often at night, in protected waters.

click here to read about AOS Madagascar working with traditional fishers

click here to read about AOS Tanzania working with fishers on Lake Victoria

Threats to world fishing

Flags of convenience have brought particular problems to the fishing industry. Lack of accountability means that health and safety regulations may be flouted. Internationally agreed fishing quotas may not be respected. Over fishing leads to depletion of fish stocks damaging the future livelihood of fishers. These practices also threaten other marine species such as dolphins, sharks, and sea turtles which are caught in nets and destroyed as “by catch”.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing) is a matter of serious debate among numerous international organisations. However there is a tendency to focus on the loss of fish stocks rather than the dangers to fishers onboard. Fishers involved in illegal fishing are usually recruited from developing countries. In the words of a report called “Why fish piracy persists”, produced by the OECD:

they have few other employment options, they work on IUU vessels for low wages and in extremely poor living and working conditions to such an extent that they are considered bonded labour.

click here to read about international agreements and fishers’ rights