Resources for Social Responsibility

FisheryProgress has compiled the templates and resources below to support FIPs in taking steps to address human rights risks and other social responsibility challenges in their fisheries.

 

FisheryProgress Social Responsibility Resources

 

Templates

Templates for all required and voluntary HRSR Policy documents can be found here.

 

Training & Guidance

We are working hard to develop training and guidance to ensure FIPs understand the Human Rights and Social Responsibility (HRSR) Policy requirements and have the information they need to implement them in a meaningful way. The below list is updated regularly as new resources become available.

 

Qualifications for Social Responsibility and Human Rights Consultants

FIPs that choose to complete an SRA of the FisheryProgress core indicators must engage a qualified individual or team to conduct the assessment and develop the associated social workplan. Review the qualifications for conducting risk assessments and creating social workplans here.

 

Case Studies

CeDePesca and its partners in the Peru anchovy small-scale FIP served as an HRSR early adopter, starting to meet social requirements ahead of the required implementation timeline. Learn more about their experience meeting Requirements 1.2-1.5 of the HRSR Policy here.

 

External Resources

 

Funding Opportunities

The Sustainable Fisheries Fund (SFF), managed by Resources Legacy Fund, provides grants on a competitive basis to help eligible FIPs fulfill the FisheryProgress Human Rights and Social Responsibility Policy. SFF is accepting grant applications and issuing grants for select eligible projects twice per year in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Detailed information about the SFF program and grant application guidelines is available online in English, Spanish, Bahasa Indonesia, Japanese, and Chinese.

 

Resources to Build Understanding of Human Rights and Business Obligations

As multi-stakeholder initiatives that cut across the supply chain, FIPs have a responsibility and an opportunity to address human and labor rights issues in fisheries, and doing so is both a moral imperative and a legal obligation. Many resources exist to help businesses learn more about protections for human and labor rights, common violations of these rights, and the related role and responsibilities of businesses. The list below includes general resources– links to resources from these and other organizations that relate to specific HRSR Policy Requirements can be found further down on this page.

  • Slaves of the Ocean 2020 (video): Human Rights at Sea, an NGO advocating for the human rights of all people at sea globally, sheds light on harsh realities faced by some seafood workers in this video on slavery at sea.
  • The Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST) is the result of a collaboration between Verité and the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Their many resources include a summary of international social conventions specific to the seafood sector.
  • The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) are a set of guidelines for States and companies to prevent, address and remedy human rights abuses committed in business operations following a due diligence approach. Their associated interpretive guidance and frequently asked questions explain key concepts and terms. This 4 minute video explains core concepts from the UNGP and human rights due diligence.
  • Understanding and Accessing Rights in Fisheries Value Chains (Webinar | PDF): ELEVATE is a global sustainability and supply chain services provider, as well as the host of the Social Responsibility Assessment Tool (SRA). Their March 2021 webinar includes information about defining human rights, human rights and labor protections and violations, and examples of and recommendations for supporting worker-led efforts. (Note there are references to an old version of the FisheryProgress HRSR Policy Requirements in this presentation, which are not up to date).
  • The Roadmap for Improving Seafood Ethics (RISE), a project of FishWise, is a free resource tailored to meet the needs of seafood companies. It provides industry-relevant information and tools, coupled with connections to human rights experts and leading practitioners to support implementation. RISE features:
    • Eight clear and practical steps with actionable guidance to maximize impact.
    • Information on three foundational issues common across the seafood industry: Responsible Recruitment, Worker Engagement, and Decent Work at Sea.
    • Best practices for assessing risk, remediating issues, building capacity with suppliers, and communicating company successes.
    • Online elearning lessons and educational materials to empower companies to get started or accelerate their journey.
    • A self-assessment tool to direct companies to the most relevant information.
  • Future of due diligence in seafood (webinar): ELEVATE and FishWise presented this joint webinar that includes an overview of the RISE platform, and addresses at a high level the topics of commitment, traceability, key drivers of human rights risks in fisheries, assessing human rights risks, and worker engagement.
  • Anchoring Human Rights Due Diligence webinar series: The Seafood Ethics Action Alliance has made this free webinar series to provide support and guidance for seafood businesses, addressing topics including: understanding human rights due diligence; responsible recruitment; worker engagement; decent work at sea; and, responsible purchasing practices.
  • The Conservation Alliance Guidelines for Supporting Fishery Improvement Projects are available in multiple languages. The guidelines include links to resources on the topics of fundamental human rights, labor rights, gender equity, business responsibility to respect human rights, human rights due diligence, worker-driven social responsibility, and grievance mechanisms. (Note there is some overlap across resources provided by the Conservation Alliance and those listed in RISE and on this website).

 

Implementation Support

Resources linked below are intended to support FIPs working to meet the requirements of the FisheryProgress HRSR Policy and beyond. It is important to note that complying with the requirements of the FisheryProgress HRSR Policy is not the same as implementing the UN Guiding Principles nor does it mean that FIPs can claim they are free from human rights abuses or are socially responsible. Instead, FisheryProgress aims to promote transparency of FIPs’ social responsibility efforts and present information in a standardized way. Information shared on FisheryProgress can be used as part of companies’ broader efforts on human rights, compliance with the UNGP, and human rights due diligence.

 

Human Rights Due Diligence

FIPs seeking to go beyond the FisheryProgress HRSR Policy Requirements and fully implement a human rights due diligence approach in line with the UNGP can look to these resources as a starting point.

  • The OECD Due Diligence Guidance, which is available in multiple languages, provides practical support to businesses implementing a human rights due diligence process to identify, prevent, mitigate and account for its adverse social impacts. The OECD also released guidance to support integration of a gender perspective into supply chain due diligence.
  • Doing Business with Respect for Human Rights: A Guidance Tool for Companies: Published by the Global Compact Network Netherlands, Oxfam, and Shift, this foundational guide supports companies on how to implement respect for human rights in line with the UNGP. The tool translates key concepts from the UNGP into what they really mean for companies, as well as implementation guidance (specific steps to take) and case studies.

  • The Seafood Ethics Action Alliance has made this free webinar series to provide support and guidance for seafood businesses, addressing topics including: understanding human rights due diligence; responsible recruitment; worker engagement; decent work at sea; and, responsible purchasing practices.

 

HRSR Policy Requirements

  • 1.1 Policy Statement: Policy commitment is broadly recognized as a basis for embedding responsibility to respect human rights, including in the UNGP.
  • 1.2 Vessel/Fisher List: Understanding who all the actors in a supply chain or FIP are is essential for traceability, transparency, and in order to effectively implement the requirements of the FisheryProgress HRSR Policy.
    • Mapping the Seafood Supply Chain: guidance developed by The Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST).
    • Implementing traceability: For FIPs seeking to go beyond basic mapping of FIP actors, FishWise’s RISE website highlights traceability as a key component of their “Commit” step, providing background and resources on implementing traceability as well as a case study that highlights key outcomes and benefits of supply chain mapping.
  • 1.3 Fisher Awareness of Rights: Efforts to build fishers’ awareness of their rights must be undertaken within the context of good practice for worker and stakeholder engagement, ideally in collaboration with fisher representatives and labor and human rights agencies and organizations.
    • The RISE Worker Engagement webpage: provides numerous resources related to understanding and supporting worker engagement and worker voice, including a description of the worker voice continuum, a report on worker voice on fishing vessels, information on grievance mechanisms.
    • Doing Business with Respect for Human Rights: Chapter 3.7 on Stakeholder Engagement provides guidance on why stakeholder engagement is important and how to engage in a meaningful manner.
  • 1.4 Grievance Mechanisms: Grievance mechanisms can be highly effective tools to identify adverse human rights impacts and ensure a process for remediation of those impacts. However, if not designed and implemented well, they do not serve to uncover labor or human rights abuses,nor promote worker, fisher, or stakeholder engagement and dialogue. A poor grievance mechanism can even serve to alienate and disempower fishers.
    • Benchmarks of good practice: The Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST) outlines benchmarks related to grievance mechanisms that FIPs can consider as part of their annual appraisal on the effectiveness of their grievance mechanisms.
    • Establishing Effective Grievance Mechanisms: Step 6 of Verite’s Hiring Toolkit for Suppliers includes information on establishing grievance mechanisms and evaluating their effectiveness.
    • Doing Business with Respect for Human Rights: Chapter 3.8 on Grievance Mechanisms addresses a range of topics including mapping existing grievance mechanisms, effectiveness criteria, and improving the performance of grievance mechanisms.
    • Grievance Procedure Best Practice: The Seafood Task Force (STF) released a Tuna Handbook as a resource for tuna fishing vessel owners and operators seeking to implement the STF Code of Conduct and meet their Vessel Auditable Standards. Section 10 and Annex K of the Handbook relate to grievance mechanisms for workers.
  • 2.1 Social Risk Assessment, Preferred Pathway: The Social Responsibility Assessment Tool (SRA) serves as the preferred framework for FIPs to report on social performance on FisheryProgress.
    • The Social Responsibility Assessment Tool (SRA) was created as a diagnostic, benchmarking, or risk-assessment tool for conducting social due diligence in seafood supply chains. It is designed to help FIPs assess risks of social issues, uncover critical information gaps, identify areas in need of improvement, and inform the development of a social workplan. FishWise’s RISE website contains background information about and links to the SRA here. Additional information on the SRA, as well as links for how to access the SRA and a variety of related supporting resources is available on the FisheryProgress website here.
  • 2.1 Social Risk Assessment, Alternate Pathway: FIPs interested in submitting an alternative assessment to comply with Requirement 2.1 can look to guidance and tools broadly related to social and/or human rights risk assessments and human rights impact assessments.
    • Assess human rights risks to workers in your supply chains: FishWise’s RISE website provides additional, seafood-specific guidance on conducting a thorough social risk assessment that includes information from multiple sources. The recommended process includes a preliminary assessment of supplier risks to identify areas of high and moderate risk; gathering additional information on the ground from these suppliers, including from their workers, about potential and actual impacts; and engaging global and local stakeholders such as human and labor rights experts to expand the assessment of working conditions.
    • Guidance on conducting risk assessments for the seafood sector: The Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST) published this guidance at the level of the country of production, port state, country of labor supply and specific supplier.
    • Human rights impact assessment (HRIA) toolbox: The Danish Institute for Human Rights provides guidance and practical tools in this toolbox. Background information on HRIA and key associated concepts can also be found on their website.

 

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