FAO Launches Final Technical Review in Vigo, Spain, of International Guidelines on Social Responsibility in Fisheries and Aquaculture

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) launched the final technical review of an international guideline on Tuesday, November 10, at the Conxemar headquarters in Vigo, Spain, focusing on social responsibility in fisheries and aquaculture value chains. Supported by the Regional Government of Galicia, the review meeting brings together about twenty international experts and runs until Thursday, November 12. The comments put forward by participants will be used to adjust the draft before finalization. The process has been under way within the FAO framework for nine years.

The document will establish recommendations aimed primarily at enterprises, focusing on labor rights, working conditions and social security for people involved in the production and sale of aquatic foods. The guidelines seek to promote the implementation of existing international standards through operational criteria suited to the characteristics of each type of fishing activity, covering everything from work on board vessels to industrial processing on shore.

The guidelines consist of a section on general principles and sections addressing six categories of activity: industrial fishing, artisanal fishing, aquaculture, processing, distribution and retail. The differentiated treatment stems from the different labor and production conditions in each segment—work on fishing vessels has different characteristics from work in processing plants, while aquaculture farms require consideration of the working methods and risks specific to their production systems. The document introduces the principle of proportionality so that recommendations are adapted to the size and capacity of operators, a principle that is especially important for small enterprises and artisanal fishing organizations, whose resources and labor structures differ from those of industrial companies.

FAO has identified various social problems in fisheries value chains, including different forms of labor exploitation, forced labor, debt bondage and difficulties in accessing social security, particularly among vulnerable groups and migrant workers. The guidelines seek to facilitate the identification and prevention of these risks by drawing on international instruments on human rights, employment and occupational safety.

The project's origins date back to 2017, when FAO member countries, at the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade held in Busan, Republic of Korea, requested the development of guidelines to facilitate the application of international human rights and labor instruments in fisheries value chains. In 2018, the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI) supported this mandate and recommended advancing it in cooperation with workers' organizations in enterprises and relevant entities. In 2019, four international consultations were held in Agadir, Brussels, Rome and Shanghai. During the same period, a public consultation on the preliminary document received more than 700 comments and observations. In 2024, targeted revisions were carried out on artisanal fishing and aquaculture, and a public participation period was opened again to consider the relevant chapters. In September 2025, the twentieth session of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade discussed the initiative again, and FAO submitted working document COFI/XX/2025/10 and partial draft COFI/XX/2025/Inf.14. In its conclusions, the body emphasized the relationship between social responsibility, responsible business conduct and supply chain due diligence, issues that are increasingly prominent in international commercial conditions.

The guidelines are voluntary and non-binding. Their recommendations will serve as a reference for enterprises, public administrations and industry organizations, while legal obligations remain determined by national regulations and applicable international conventions. This distinction is significant for companies involved in foreign trade: labor requirements set by national authorities, contractual conditions agreed with buyers and guidelines from international bodies are instruments of a different nature. Corporate due diligence refers to identifying, preventing and addressing human rights and labor risks related to a company's own activities and business relationships; in fisheries value chains, this analysis can cover fishing operations as well as processing and supply segments. At its September 2025 meeting, the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade acknowledged that these practices are growing in importance as international market requirements change. For Argentine fisheries companies operating fleets, processing plants and export channels, this future guideline could serve as a reference for reviewing their labor procedures and their relationships with foreign suppliers and buyers; its publication itself will not introduce new mandatory export conditions, and whether it is adopted in commercial practice will depend on the assessment mechanisms adopted by companies and the specific requirements of each market.

At the opening of the consultation, Marta Villavverde, head of fisheries and maritime affairs of the Regional Government of Galicia, said that protecting marine resources must go hand in hand with safe, decent and fair working conditions. She linked social sustainability with the economic viability of fishing and aquaculture activities, particularly in the context of difficult generational turnover. Susana Pérez Iglesias, Director-General of Employment and Labor Relations of Galicia, also spoke, emphasizing the importance of improving employment conditions within international production chains.

The consultation was attended by representatives of fisheries institutions from Japan and the United Arab Emirates, the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and National Chengchi University in Taiwan, as well as business and institutional experts. Participants reviewed the clarity and applicability of the recommendations, with particular attention to the differences among the activities covered. The comments will be incorporated into a technical report that will serve as the basis for a consolidated document. The meeting concludes on Thursday, November 12, and approval and publication of the final version remain subject to FAO's review procedures. The complete text will allow readers to understand the exact scope of the recommendations addressed to vessel owners, processing companies and aquaculture operators, and the criteria they can use to assess their labor practices in international supply chains.