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The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation which read as follows:

Articles 3–15 of the Convention. Certificates of competency. The Committee has been commenting for a number of years on the absence of laws and regulations giving effect to the Convention. The Government stated in its report communicated in 2004 that progress was being made in this respect and that a national workshop on the formulation of fishing policies was organized. The Government also indicated that copies of the new legislation and the texts defining the new policies would be communicated to the ILO as soon as they were adopted.

The Committee asks the Government to provide detailed information on the outcome of the national workshop on the formulation of fishing policies and on any concrete progress made in respect of the adoption of national laws implementing the Convention. The Committee understands that the Office remains ready to offer expert advice and to respond favourably to any specific request for technical assistance in this regard. Finally, the Committee would appreciate receiving up to date information concerning the fishing industry, including statistics on the composition and capacity of the country’s fishing fleet, the approximate number of fishers gainfully employed in the sector, etc.

The Committee also draws the Government’s attention to the new Work in Fishing Convention (No. 188), adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 96th Session (June 2007), which revises and updates most ILO instruments on fishing. The Committee requests the Government to give all due attention to this new comprehensive instrument on the working and living conditions of fishers and to keep the Office informed of any decision that it may take with a view to its eventual ratification.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.