November 3, 2022 — More than 100,000 people die in fishing-related accidents each year, more than triple earlier estimates, and many of those fatalities were preventable, according to a report released Thursday.
A range of factors are contributing to the problem, including abuses by fishing operators, use of child labor, overfishing, climate change, armed conflicts and poverty, said the report, based on research by the Fish Safety Foundation commissioned by the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing has been increasing despite efforts to curb such practices, as overfishing has led fleets to travel ever further in search of catches, adding to the risks.
“With 3 billion people reliant on seafood and the demand expected to rise, stronger policies are urgently needed to keep fishers safe, including ones that address the true drivers of these deaths,” Peter Horn, a project director with Pew International’s fisheries project, said in a statement.