Anglo-North Irish Fisheries Human Rights Audits & Response published

Press Release

28th May 2019

London. UK. / Kilkeel, Northern Ireland. Today, Human Rights at Sea publishes the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) voluntary annual human rights and business audits undertaken by Human Rights at Sea International Ltd (HRASi), the not-for-profit subsidiary consultancy of the charity.

For three years Human Rights at Sea has been formally engaged with ANIFPO through their CEO Allan McCulla OBE and other UK Fish Producers Organisations undertaking requested due diligence and advisory roles assisting the sector to drive up standards and accountability of working conditions, and address shortfalls identified in business and human rights audits both onshore and at sea in respective fleets. This has included the publishing of the briefing note on UK Share Fishermen.

The audit results for 2018 and 2019 can now be publicly downloaded and scrutinised as part of a deliberate ongoing policy by ANIFPO to assure increasing transparency in their commercial operations as part of delivering against their corporate social responsibility policy in support of their workers.

In addition, ANIFPO has issued a detailed response addressing the key recommendations and points raised in the audits.

David Hammond, Founder Human Rights at Sea, commented: “The fact that ANIFPO has taken the decision to request independent reviews and be publicly transparent about the audit results, including highlighted shortfalls as equally as good practices, demonstrates a professional stance and willingness not to hide from the raised issues, but instead acknowledge and rectify them for the benefit of their fishermen and supply chain following the 2011 UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.”