Rising for African Fish Workers’ Dignity and Rights: First IUF Africa Seafood Workers Division Conference held in Accra, Ghana

The IUF Africa Seafood Workers Division held a landmark conference in Accra, Ghana, September 8-9, 2025, bringing together delegates, government officials, parliament members, allied producers' organisations and representatives of academia from Benin, Ghana, Uganda, Senegal, and Zimbabwe. Under the theme "Rising for African Fish Workers' Dignity and Rights," participants addressed urgent challenges facing fisheries and aquaculture workers across the continent.

Organizing for collective strength
Millions of women and men working in fisheries remain excluded from social protections, decent working conditions, and decision-making processes. Delegates underlined that unionization is key to changing this reality and called on governments, regional bodies, and civil society to support fish worker organizations. The two-day discussion was focused on the experience of union organizing with special emphasis on ensuring gender equality, youth participation.

Ending child labour in fisheries in aquaculture
Despite relative global progress, rural Africa continues to see widespread exploitation of children in hazardous activities that undermine their health, education, and future. The conference urged governments to strengthen laws and enforcement in line with international conventions and to expand access to education, training, and social protection for fishing communities. Delegates reaffirmed the importance of decent work for adults as a way to end families' reliance on child labour, stressed the role of the International Labour Organization and discussed the Torkor Model of workers' mobilization against child labour.

Fighting casualization and informality
The country reports addressed the alarming spread of casual and informal work in the seafood sector. Participants condemned employers' reliance on precarious contracts, which strip workers of rights, fair wages, and job security. Special resolution demands stronger legislation to restrict casualization and ensure protection for all workers. Delegates also pledged to strengthen cross-border solidarity against transnational companies that profit from informality and to develop organizing strategies that reach vulnerable groups, including women and young workers.

Moving forward
The meeting constituted the IUF Africa Seafood Division, which will act within the Africa regional organization to build on the coordination of fish workers. The resolutions adopted in Accra present a united call for action: strengthen workers' voices through unionization, eliminate child labour, and end the exploitation of informal labour. Together, these commitments lay the groundwork for an African seafood industry that respects the dignity and rights of all workers while securing a sustainable future for communities across the continent.