SPL17 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY OF COASTAL FISHERMEN: A GAP TO FILL IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES; A MOROCCAN EXAMPLE
Authors: Laraqui Hossini Chakib 
Published: July 2024

This presentation is an analytic review of our research work among fishermen of coastal sector (FCS) in Morocco which focused on the assessment of occupational safety and health (OSH), stress, burnout, sleep and alertness disorders, risk-taking behaviors (ordalisme, sexually transmitted infections), consumption of psychoactive substances, musculoskeletal disorders and skin diseases.

The dangerousness of the work of fishermen have been known since antiquity. The human fragility at sea was formulated by the Greek philosopher Anacharsis, who declared that “there are three sorts of people: those who are alive, those who are dead, and those who are at sea”. The relentless struggle of FCS and the sea continues for centuries, and the maritime environment remains dangerous to those who work there especially in developing countries. Working at sea is associated with a number of occupational risks and challenges. The FCS carry out manual activities, characterized by heavy work-load, very intense rhythms and inconvenient working- hours in a hostile environment (bad weather, promiscuity in dilapidated boats, etc.). FCS constitute a particular target for physical, chemical and psychosocial risks (PSR) because they are exposed to high relational and organizational constraints linked to difficult working conditions and concerns about their daily earnings. The fishermen profession is universally known as being the most accident-prone. Indeed, the rates of occupational accidents and deaths are respectively three times and 44 times higher among fishermen than among land-based workers. PSR can be induced by the activity itself or generated by the organization and work relationships. They correspond to work situations where fatigue, stress, harassment are present. The combination of an unsafe work environment, job strain and socio-economic difficulties is a major risk factor for chronic stress that can lead to burnout syndrome. The harmful effects of PSR on the psychological and physical health of workers are well established: psychosomatic manifestations, multiple chronic illnesses (cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, metabolic, etc.), compensatory behavior (consumption of psychoactive substances), etc.

The risks in this sector are universal, however, our research has the merit of raising and discussing a number of questions specific to fishermen in Morocco. Indeed, if difficult and dangerous working conditions play a main role in the genesis of risks, modulators can intervene to strengthen or weaken this influence. These have been grouped into three sections:

- the intrinsic and specific factors of the working environment in this sector (the activity of the FCS, interpersonal relations and the relationship between the fishermen and the fishing sector),

- para-professional economic, social, ethnic and cultural environmental factors,

- individual factors and personality traits of FCS.

Working conditions at sea, low levels of education and ordalisme make it difficult to implement programs able to improve OSH. However, it is a need for introducing of specific strategies, which should be adapted and effective. Health promotion and education initiatives should be carried out to raise fishermen’s awareness of occupational risks and their consequences. An integrated prevention management system, linked to real conditions, must promote appropriate, planned and prioritized preventive measures to improve quality of life and working conditions.