Human Rights at Sea has published a new case study exploring the issue of Philippine manning agencies supplying Non-EEA crew to the UK fishing industry and the issues this raises in terms of transparency of practice, due diligence to assure welfare safeguards for crew, and the necessary safeguards required to ensure decent work conditions.
The charity spent time in the Philippines interviewing a number of government and non-government, civil society and commercial stakeholders for this first report.
‘Focused analysis of the system of recruitment and placement of Filipino fishermen into the UK fishing industry has been long overdue. This investigative report has undoubtedly helped get the ball rolling on this much discussed yet poorly understood aspect of the UK fishing industry supply chain,’ commented the lead investigator from the charity’s not-for-profit trading company, Human Rights at Sea International.
According to Hunan Rights at Sea, there are still outstanding information gaps, as well as high-level relationships yet to be formed between key industry bodies and relevant government licensing authorities.
‘But the ingredients for a potentially watertight system are all there, providing the key influencers and decision-makers have the appetite to develop this. Of course this is only one country supplying fishermen to the UK fishing industry. Similar work in other labour sourcing countries will have to be undertaken in order to fully assure stakeholders of the integrity of the supply chain,’ the lead investigator said.
The charity aims to raise the profile of this long-standing route for use of Non-EEA crew in the fishing industry in order to ensure that greater levels of transparency and welfare support are made available to those working at sea.
This subject will be discussed at the forthcoming second International Maritime Human Rights Conference to be held on Monday 29 October 2018 at the Fishmonger’s Hall, London.
The HRAS Case Study Manning Agents and the UK Supply Chain: An Investigative Report and Case Study of Non-EEA crew from the Philippines is available here.
