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Medical certificate, first aid training a must for fishermen
View(s):By S Rubatheesan
The Fisheries Ministry has introduced a new fishermen’s welfare initiative under which all fishermen are required to undergo a comprehensive medical examination process and obtain a medical certificate in order to be eligible to venture out into the sea for fishing.
The certificate will be valid for two years and should be renewed biennially. Selected State hospitals near fisheries jetties are authorised to facilitate this process of issuing medical certificates to fisherfolk.
As a first phase of the implementation process, skippers and crews of multi-day fishing vessels will have to obtain the certificate in the coming weeks. Eventually, all fishermen across the island will be included in the initiative.
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- Fishermen to undergo medical examination and obtain certificate to be eligible to venture out into the sea.
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- Last month, Navy personnel brought ashore a fisherman who had fallen ill while aboard a local multi-day fishing trawler located off Trincomalee.
In addition to the mandatory health certificate, the fishermen are required to obtain first aid training and certification to administer emergency first aid, considering the possibility of fishermen suddenly falling ill at sea.
Accordingly, every vessel should have a certified First Aid Trainee onboard. The Navy’s Medical Corps is scheduled to conduct this training.
The new fishermen’s welfare steps are introduced under an initiative called ‘Dheevara Suva Saviya’ aimed at enhancing the well-being of fisherfolk in the country.
The first phase of its implementation commenced on Friday at Wellamankaraya Fishery Port in Vennappuwa.
Addressing the event, Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said that the initiative is to ensure the safety and security of the fishermen when they venture out to sea. He pointed out past incidents where fishermen had to be hospitalised after the Navy responded to mid-sea distress calls.
Last month (December 13), Navy personnel brought ashore a fisherman who had fallen ill while aboard a local multi-day fishing trawler located off Foul Point, Trincomalee. The multi-day trawler with six crew members on board, had set sail from the Dondra fisheries harbour on December 5 for fishing.
Responding to the urgent situation, the Navy directed the Fast Attack Craft P 4445 attached to the Eastern Naval Command to the sea area to retrieve the patient after the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, alerted the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo, located at the Navy Headquarters, about the developments.
Navy personnel administered crucial first aid to the patient aboard, and later he was admitted to the Trincomalee District General Hospital for further treatment.
Currently, the death of fishermen at sea due to illness or other causes poses a dire situation to their families and those who depend on them as the vessel is prohibited from engaging in fishing activities after the cancellation of the permit.
The new initiatives are introduced in keeping up with Sri Lanka’s commitment towards promoting decent work in the country’s fisheries sector.
Draft regulations pertaining to the International Labour Organization’s ‘Work in Fishing Convention (C188)’ were presented to the Fisheries Ministry last month.
The C188, an international labour standard established by the ILO, sets standards and recommendations aimed at ensuring decent working conditions for those engaged in the fishing industry worldwide.
It addresses various aspects of labour in the fishing sector, including working hours, occupational safety and health, and living conditions on board vessels, amongst other aspects.
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