The COVID-19 epidemic, and the measures taken to combat it, are proving increasingly challenging for men and women active in the African artisanal fisheries. Restrictions to the assembling of people, the circulation of people and goods, and the closing down of traditional markets for artisanal fisheries products, are making access to fish difficult to the neediest.
Because of the lack of facilities and equipment, maintaining the hygiene to fight the epidemic is also complicated on board the vessels, in fish landing sites, processing sites and markets. Women in African artisanal fisheries are particularly hard hit as they earn a living on a day-by-day basis.
“The Covid 19 crisis must be an opportunity to respond to the long-standing challenges in artisanal fisheries and to improve the hygiene and working conditions of the men and women in the sector in the long term"
Gaoussou Gueye - President of CAOPA
improved working conditions
Artisanal fishing professional organisations have taken action: this crisis should be an opportunity to improve sanitary and working conditions for men and women in the long-term. We support them in:
Raising awareness about the working conditions in the artisanal fisheries value chain, especially for women in the fish processing sector;
Advocating that countries ratify and implement the ILO Convention 188 which covers workers at sea and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing small-scale fisheries which covers the whole value chain; and
Demanding more participation of artisanal fisheries in decision-making processes that have an impact on their livelihoods.
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Coronavirus crisis micro-blog
CAOPA calls on African governments to ratify ILO Convention 188 on Work in Fishing and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Small-scale Fisheries.