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The Committee takes note of the information sent by the Government in its report. It draws the Government’s attention to the following point.

Article 1, paragraph 1(b), of the Convention. Welfare facilities and services. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to send information on the nature, location and number of welfare facilities and services on board seagoing ships and on commercial fishing vessels, which are also covered by the Convention, and on the number of seafarers having access to such facilities and services. In its report, the Government again refers to section 204 of the Federal Labour Act, which requires the ship’s master, inter alia, to provide seafarers with clean and comfortable accommodation, healthy and nutritious food and medical or any other therapeutic treatment in the event of sickness. It also indicates the number of seafarers that have made use of the services made available to them in ports at the casas del marino.

The Committee reminds the Government that, for the purposes of the Convention, the term “welfare facilities and services” means welfare, cultural, recreational and information facilities and services. The Seafarers’ Welfare Recommendation, 1987 (No. 173) (the text of which is reproduced in the report form) gives examples of welfare, cultural, recreational and information facilities and services that can be made available to seafarers. They may include facilities for religious observance, recreation rooms, and facilities at sea for libraries, table games, the projection of films, etc. The Committee accordingly asks the Government to provide detailed information in its next report on the welfare services and facilities made available to seafarers “on seagoing vessels” and commercial fishing vessels.

[The Government is asked to reply in detail to the present comments in 2007.]