Press Release

4 February 2019

London. UK. Following the SeaFish Ethics Common Language Group meeting at Fishmonger’s Hall, London, 28 January, Human Rights at Sea publishes a copy of the presentation given updating delegates on the ongoing UK Fisheries Human Rights and Social Welfare Project which commenced with a Needs Assessment.

The aim of the initial Needs Assessment was focused towards researching and publishing an independent review to answer the basic question of need, or otherwise, for a comprehensive follow-on UK sector-wide Baseline Assessment covering all applicable human rights and social welfare provisions, positions and needs throughout the UK Fisheries Sector.

Image removed.The independent Needs Assessment has internally highlighted from the respondent’s views a clear need for more comprehensive and in-depth quantitative and qualitative research to be undertaken throughout the Sector alongside all stakeholders and considering the full spread of opinions, positions and mechanisms from government, commercial and welfare perspectives.

Issues of common language, what constitutes human (and labour) rights, the scale of abuses and what constitutes ‘abuse’ were among the concerns raised by the 30 person stakeholder sample from across the supply chain.

The work to date has highlighted that eventual success of what could be in excess of 12 months follow-on research work requires full commitment of all stakeholders to discover the ‘ground-truth’ of opinions expressed in the Needs Assessment, that those who come to the process must come with ‘clean hands’, the requirement for collective agreement of the methodology, impartiality of the research team & partners, and transparency of both the process and findings whatever the outcome.

For more information

David Hammond Esq. CEO. david.hammond@humanrightsatsea.org

Ends.