Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2012, published 102nd ILC session (2013)

Accommodation of Crews (Fishermen) Convention, 1966 (No. 126) - Belgium (Ratification: 1969)

Article 13(1) of the Convention. Sickbay. The Committee observes that, under the terms of section 13(1) of Annex XIX of the Royal Order of 20 July 1973 issuing the Maritime Inspection Regulations (RIM) respecting crew accommodation, as amended by the Royal Order of 7 January 1998 respecting medical assistance on board ship, vessels of over 500 gross tonnes in which the crew is composed of 15 or more workers engaged on a voyage of over three days, shall have a bay for the provision of medical care. The Committee however recalls that, in accordance with Article 13(1) of the Convention, a sickbay shall be provided on all fishing vessels of 500 tonnes or over, irrespective of the numbers of crew members. The Committee therefore hopes that the Government will take measures to amend the legislation in relation to the types of fishing vessels on which a sickbay shall be provided, so as to give full effect to this provision of the Convention. The Committee also once again requests the Government to indicate whether variations, as envisaged in section 1(4) of Annex XIV above, have been allowed up to now and, if so, to provide the available information on this subject.

Finally, the Committee takes this occasion to recall that most of the provisions of the Convention have been incorporated into the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188), which comprehensively revises most of the ILO instruments on fishing. In particular, Articles 25 to 28 of Annex III of Convention No. 188 are based on the provisions of Convention No. 126, which they further develop. The Committee invites the Government to envisage favourably the possibility of ratifying Convention No. 188 and to keep the Office informed of any decision that may be taken in that respect.