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

Minimum Age (Fishermen) Convention, 1959 (No. 112) - Liberia (Ratification: 1960)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Scope of application. Minimum age. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that it is planning to amend Regulation No. 10.326 (RLM-108) so that no person below the age of 16 may be employed on a Liberian-registered vessel, while young persons under the age of 15 but not less than 14 years of age could be employed only on board vessels upon which members of the same family are employed, school ships and training ships. While noting that the proposed amendment is consistent with the minimum age requirements set out in Articles 2 and 4, the Committee observes that the revised regulation still fails to cover all fishing vessels, of any nature whatsoever, irrespective of tonnage, which are engaged in maritime fishing in salt waters, as required under Article 1. In addition, the Committee is obliged to recall that, contrary to Article 2(1), Article 9(1) of the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188), raises the minimum age for admission to employment as fishers from 15 to 16 years of age. The Committee accordingly asks the Government to take prompt action in order to ensure that any amendment of section 326 of the Liberia Maritime Law (RLM-107) or Regulation No. 10.326 (RLM-108) is fully consistent with the provisions of Convention No. 188, which revises Convention No. 112 and sets out the most up-to-date standards on fishers’ working and living conditions. The Committee also requests the Government to refer to its comments made in 2011 under the Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (Revised), 1936 (No. 58).