Implementation of an Observer Bill of Rights
A project of the Observer Health, Safety, and Welfare APO Focus Area
Project Overview
In 2000 during the 2nd Conference in the International Fisheries Observer and Monitoring Conference (IFOMC) series held in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, an Observer Bill of Rights (OBR) document was drafted. This was the first step towards building a plan to improve and strengthen the retention of experienced fisheries observers, establishing minimum desirable requirements to deploy observers among other issues. Since 2000 many of the suggestions laid out by the Observer Bill of Rights have been implemented, improved and assessed, though primarily among established observer programs. Nevertheless, developing countries have a special importance in the global management of fishing resources being that these countries are responsible for fifty percent of fish exported in the world.This project aims to build off of what has been started throughout the past several years with the goal of creating one standard International Observer Bill of Rights that would work to ensure that fisheries observers from around the world would be provided with certain basic fair and amiable employment standards throughout their careers as fisheries observers, from recruitment to retirement. This will be designed by referencing past documentation and through consulting with the main stakeholders, such as: Observers, the Observer Professionalism Working Group (OPWG), the Observer Safety Working Group (OSWG), the Observer Training Working Group (OTWG), Fisheries Agencies and Contractors.
Once an International Observer Bill of Rights has been formalized, we will begin to approach stakeholders and assess their level of adherence to these basic Observer Rights. We will then provide feedback to them on how they rank and offer up suggestions of particular avenues that would foster improved adherence to these Rights. We are considering as to whether this project may evolve into an accreditation system, where we would work with a particular stakeholder to help them reach a threshold level of compliance to these Observer Rights. Upon reaching this set threshold, the stakeholder would be endorsed by the APO (and other interested parties), inclusive of some sort of certification process predicated upon a regimented assessment scheme.
The following subject areas will be addressed, in addition to many of the Rights currently outlined in the OBR:
- The responsibilities of contractors and fishing vessels for the safety of observers on board.
- Minimum age for work onboard as a fisheries observer.
- Medical examination and certification required for work as fisheries observer.
- Workload and hours of rest.
- Fisheries observer work agreements
- Recruitment, placement of fisheries observers, and use of private contractor agencies.
- Payment of fisheries observers.
- On board accommodation and food.
- Medical care at sea.
- Occupational safety and health.
- Social security and protection in the case of work-related sickness, injury or death (through a system for contractor's liability or compulsory insurance, observers' compensation or other schemes).
- Standardization of scenarios of conflict of interest, code of conduct.
- Standardization of scenarios of observer harassment/interference.
As soon as we have draft of the International Observer Bill of Rights, we will make it available to interested stakeholders to review and provide feedback upon before finalizing. Return back here soon for updates.
Project Updates
No recent updates.Contact Information
Please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions or feedback, and if you have any interest in participating in the developments of this project.Ebol Rojas: ebolred@yahoo.com.ar
Keith Davis:lblegend@yahoo.com
Mark Wormington: siberio@hotmail.com
Project Resources
- Anon. 2000. Canada - U.S. Fisheries Observer Program Workshop - Proceedings. NMFS and DFO, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. 52p
- Observer Bill of Rights (OBR), 2000
- OPWG. 2008. Observer Professionalism Working Group (OPWG) 5th International Fisheries Observer Conference (IFOC) Report. Edited by, Davis K.G. & Quelch G.D. 87pp
- Da vies, S. L.; J. E. Reynolds (ed.). 2002. Guidelines for developing an at-sea fishery observer programme. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 414. Rome, FAO. 116 pp.
- FAO. 1995c. Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Rome. FAO. 41p.
- Hansford, D., Cornish, V. 2001. Fisheries Observer Insurance, Liability, and Labor Workshop. NOAA Tech. Memo. Prepared by MRAG Americas, Inc. 112p.
- Cox, David C. 2003. Plan to manage risks and minimize liabilities associated with the deployment of contracted fisheries observers. Final Report by QuanTech. Inc. on NOAA Contract No. 50-DGNF-1-90089
- International Fishing Industry Safety and Health Conference. Safety Training for Fishermen. October 23-25, 2000, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
- Evaluation of NMFS Observer Safety Training (USA)
- Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA), US Observer Insurance
- McElderry, H., Karp, W.A., Twomey, J., Merklin, M., Cornish, V., & Saunders, M. 1999. Proceedings of the First Biennial Canada/U.S. Observer Program Workshop. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NFS-AFSC-101. 113p
- Mcvea, T.A, Kennelly, S.J. 2005. Proceedings of the 4th International Fisheries Observer Conference. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Cronulla Fisheries Research Center of Excellence, Cronulla, Australia. ISBN 1 9209 12 20 2. 230pp.
- MRAG Americas, Inc. 2000. Independent Review of the North Pacific Groundfish Observer Program. MRAG Americas, Inc. Tampa, Florida. 128p
- NMFS. 2004 Proceedings of the Third International Fisheries Observer Conference. U.S. Dep. Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/SPO-64, 192p.
- U.S. Dept. of Commerce. 2004. NMFS Observer Programs Should Improve Data Quality, Performance Monitoring and Outreach Efforts. Final Audit Report No. IPE-15721, Office of the Inspector General, Washington D.C.
- Mora C, Myers RA, Coll M, Libralato S, Pitcher TJ, et al. (2009) Management Effectiveness of the World's Marine Fisheries. PLoS Biol 7(6): e1000131. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000131
- McVea, T.A and Kennelly, S.J. (ed.), 2007. Proceedings of the 5th International Fisheries Observer Conference, 15 - 18 May 2007, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. NSW Department of Primary Industries, Cronulla. Fisheries Research Centre of Excellence, Cronulla, Australia, 412 pp. ISBN 978 0 7347 1861 7.