The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC) has successfully completed the Member States’ signature of the Protocol for Labour Standards for Crew and the Elimination of Forced Labour on Fishing Vessels.
The process was concluded after the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy (MMBE) of Nigeria, Hon. Adegboyega Oyetola, signed the protocol document at the MMBE headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, during a working visit by a delegation from the FCWC. The FCWC delegation, led by the FCWC Chairman and Director-General (a.i.) of Liberia’s National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Cyrus Saygbe, comprised: the FCWC Secretary General, Dr Gaston Antoine Djihinto; TMT West and Central Africa Coordinator, Viviane Koutob; and FCWC Regional MCS Officer, Adedotun Adekunmisi, to hold discussions on preparations for the 16th Conference of Ministers, scheduled to be held in Lagos, Nigeria, in late 2025. All six Member States have signed, and the Protocol will enter into force region-wide 30 days after this last signature.
The Protocol was jointly drafted under an Action Plan of the MOU signed in 2022 between the FCWC and the International Labour Organisation (ILO). The first draft was submitted to Member States for comments and suggestions through national consultations. Tripartite national consultations were subsequently organised in each FCWC Member State from April to August 2024 to review the draft Protocol and finalise the draft.
The Protocol includes articles that focus on the right of repatriation for fishers, enhancing protection of small-scale fishers; procedures for crew member death, missing or presumed fallen overboard; labour inspection and enforcement; and information exchange.
You can read the full text of the Protocol on the FCWC website here:
English version
Version française
