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Maritime News
ITF calls for inquiry into fisher deaths
18 August 2008
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| ITF Coordinator Norrie McVicar meeting some of the Filipinos who work on fishing boats out of the Scottish port of Fraserburgh | |
The ITF has called on Scottish politicians to launch an inquiry into conditions in the fishing industry. The call follows the deaths of two Filipino fishers and a Latvian mate in a fire on board the fishing boat Vision II in Fraserburgh, Scotland on 1 August.
The ITF General Secretary David Cockroft wrote to Scotland First Minister Alex Salmond and Stewart Stevenson, constituency Member of the Scottish Parliament, on 8 August 2008 calling for "lessons that need to be learned" from the incident. The ITF has heard concerns from Filipino seafarers about poor working and living standards on fishing vessels in the ports of Fraserburgh and Peterhead. They have alleged that they were working long hours, for low pay, often in cramped accommodation, and with little job security.
In meetings with representatives of the Fraserburgh fishing industry and with Filipino fishing crews the ITF heard that some migrant fishers were being paid very low wages. They got a small bonus, depending on the goodwill of the boat owner. Some fishers reported that they had paid money to crewing agents for a job finding fee – which is illegal under ILO Convention 179 – and that many had been given no training to work on fishing vessels, and limited health and safety training.
The ITF Coordinator Norrie McVicar said that the informal meeting with industry representatives in Fraserburgh had been open and constructive. "Both sides agreed that there is a need for further dialogue, and that this should include the Scottish Government and other industry stakeholders, and for the parties to explore avenues of mutual cooperation in both political and industrial terms."
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