Redesigning the 'M.V. PLALUNG 1' to Serve as Model Fishing Boat Complying with C188

Fisheries is among the top professions that generates big revenues for people engaged in the sector. However, in many cases, the crew and fishers working onboard fishing vessels encounter some difficulties at sea, including minimal safety, inadequate working and living conditions, as well as health and sanitation concerns. To provide a global framework for providing fishers and fishing crews decent working conditions onboard fishing vessels, the Work in Fishing Convention (C188) was adopted during the 96th International Labour Conference of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2007, and came into force on 16 November 2017. Targeting all fishers and fishing vessels engaged in commercial fishing operations, C188 established the minimum requirements for work on board, conditions of service, accommodation and food (Box 1), occupational safety and health protection, medical care, and social security. Although C188 is applicable to fishing vessels measuring 24 meters in length and over, the provisions stated in the Convention could also be applied to vessels between 15 and 24 meters in length if a country’s competent authority determines that these are reasonable and practicable. For the Southeast Asian region, although fishing vessels are generally smaller than 24 meters in length, and the C188 is not compulsory for those countries that are yet to ratify it, the national laws of several countries have already been adjusted to accommodate some relevant provisions in C188, such as the minimum age of fishers, fisher’s work agreement, number of hours of work, and so on.