Strengthening Decent Work in the Fishing Sector in South America
"[Institutional] coordination is very important for facilitating better oversight of employer-employee relations and better compliance with labor law," Silva reflects.
A creaking crane loads a net full of fish onto a dock in Manta, Ecuador. Two workers in bright blue hardhats collect the fish and prepare it for sorting on the docks. They spot Silvana Silva and her colleagues entering their nearby fishing vessel.
Silva is an inspection director in Ecuador's Ministry of Labor. Armed with handbooks and clipboards, she diligently looks for the miniscule details that suggest forced labor: a devastating practice impacting over 128,000 fishers. Adriana Cevallos, Ecuador’s vice minister for Fishing, remarked the guiding purpose of inspections is "guaranteeing safety and dignified work for fishers."
But labor inspectors in Ecuador get the opportunity for a boarding on rare occasions. Lack of coordination with the many different institutions can delay entrance to port. Once inspection teams reach a boat, employers have frequently hidden evidence of infringement.
"[Institutional] coordination is very important for facilitating better oversight of employer-employee relations and better compliance with labor law," Silva reflects.
The International Labor Organization's (ILO) Proyecto Pesca Justa, funded by ILAB, is responding to these concerns. Together with the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), it is providing training tools and resources that allow Silva and her institutional counterparts to fight illegal employment practices together.
In May 2024, she participated in a multi-institutional onboard training to learn the most efficient ways to inspect vessels. Silva praised how Proyecto Pesca Justa "strengthens the labor inspection team’s knowledge and applies it to labor inspections on site."
The fight for decent work in the fishing industry is a difficult one. But Silva and colleagues are driving true change across the ports and high seas.
The Proyecto Pesca Justa seeks to improve workers' rights in the fishing sector in Peru and Ecuador by researching about working conditions, improving institutional response on labor violations, and training workers on labor rights. Learn more about ILAB's work to ensure decent work in the fishing sector: Strengthening Decent Work in the Fishing Sector in South America
