COVID-19 Info
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SFP has been committed to supporting the seafood industry in protecting fishers and workers throughout the seafood supply chain. We are particularly concerned about the plight of small-scale fishers and fishing communities. They often lack basic supplies, are ill-equipped to access basic guidance being offered, and may lack the expertise or resources required to adapt best practices to small boats, beach landings, local auctions, etc. Many of these fishers are unlicensed or unregistered, making them largely invisible and unable to access whatever relief programs may be or become available.
SFP recently published an initial overview of Impacts of COVID-19 in Target 75 Fisheries.
With an immediate goal of protecting workers and getting critical information to the people who most need it, we have compiled the following set of international resources.
Infographics and resources for Small-Scale Fishers
- “Keep Fishing COVID-19 Free” (multiple languages)
These infographics – for crews and for vessel owners – were originally developed in Spanish by jumbo flying squid vessel owners from Paita Port in Peru, most of them members of CALAMASUR (The Committee for the Sustainable Management of the Southern Pacific Jumbo Flying Squid), and Peruvian Fishing Health experts, who prepared them to share with artisanal small-scale communities in Latin America and the rest of the world. Through SFP’s network of Supply Chain Roundtable participants, they have been quickly translated into Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, and Tagalog. - APRI Recommendations for the Indonesian Seafood Supply Chain (Bahasa) These materials were developed by the Indonesian Blue Swimming Crab Association.
- COBI: Mexican fishing communities’ resilience to COVID-19 (PDF English)
- COBI: Resiliencia de las comunidades pesqueras de México ante COVID-19 (PDF Español)
- Blue Ventures COVID-19 resource page (a list of community-focused tools and advice)
- Too Big to Ignore: COVID-19 and small-scale fisheries (a collection of articles and reports from around the world)
- Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements — Impacts on African artisanal fisheries
- International Collective in Support of Fishworkers
- FAO COVID-19 and small-scale fishers (a set of resources from around the world)
- FAO impact of COVID-19 on informal workers (PDF)
- Indigenous peoples and COVID-19 (FAO community guidance)
Vessels, fishers, and crew
Resources and guidelines aimed specifically at vessels and crews.
- International Maritime Organization — Advice to member countries and lots of other maritime-related links
- World Health Organization — Managing outbreaks on ships
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- United Fishermen of Alaska — Onboard procedures and checklist, shore-based processor procedures, community/workforce protection plan guidance
- Setting the right safety net
- How COVID-19 pandemic is affecting marine ecosystems
- ILO Sectoral Brief: COVID-19 and maritime shipping and fishing (PDF)
Workplace, essential workers
Resources and guidelines for protecting plant, office, and other workers from COVID-19 exposure in the workplace.
- International Labour Organization
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Kroger Blueprint for Businesses (PDF)
- US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (PDF)
- Central Institute of Fisheries Technology
- Louisiana Fisheries Forward
- Our Safety (downloadable workplace posters)
- CDC meat and poultry processing workers and employers (includes posters in numerous languages)
- Ethical Trading Initiative
Worker-driven requests for protection
Examples of requests and demands from unions and workers
- International Transport Workers’ Federation
- The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) (PDF)
- Essential workers bill of rights
- Pescando Justicia letter to seafood companies (PDF)
- Spanish Fisheries Confederation (Español)
- Nautilus International
- Global Aquaculture Alliance Guidance for Seafood Processing Facilities
Seafood and Food Safety
Resources outlining whether COVID-19 is a food safety risk and how COVID-19 is impacting global food production and trade.
- Food and Agriculture Organization
- National Fisheries Institute
- Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
- European Commission, Fisheries
- The Acheson Group
- Seafish COVID-19 advice and support for businesses
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Guidance on different types of masks and other equipment
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive, and there may be additional resources in other languages or otherwise more suited for a given situation. Inclusion in the list above does not constitute an endorsement by SFP.
