Qualifications for WFF Membership

Only one national organization per country may be a member. Such organizations must be democratically constituted and may be included, but not be limited to, trade unions, associations, federations of cooperatives and aboriginal nations dependent on the fishery for their livelihoods. They must represent one of the groups set out below:

1. Fish Harvesters, i.e. any person directly engaged in fishing known in different countries as:

  • Subsistence fishers;
  • Artisanal fishers;
  • Aboriginal or indigenous peoples who are fish harvesters;
  • Traditional; costal fishers
  • Independent owner- operators;
  • Crew members in this sector.

2. Crewmembers of fishing units other than those mentioned above and those who are presently listed under subsection a).

3. Broadly based (mass-based) organizations of fishing community women engaged in work in support of the fishery.

4. Fish workers who are engaged in activities related to the processing, sale (excluding merchants) of transport of fish.

5. Large corporations and allied affiliated owning fishing vessels or engaged in harvesting, processing and distribution of fish and those carrying out destructive industrial aquaculture cannot be members of the forum.