London. UK. A Scottish skipper has been found guilty at Peterhead Sheriff's Court of assault and racially-aggravated harassment of five non-EEA crew members over a period of six years. It is reported that: "Gordon Hadden admitted racially harassing Jasen Gicale, Jason Gorgonia Gulane, Jay Suycano, Rolan Gulane Barte and Noly Frejoles on board the...
Category: Abuse
Ending Exploitative Recruitment Fees for Seafarers and Fishers
London.UK. “These misleading and exploitative recruitment practices by some labour recruiters and overseas employment agencies are a continued blight on raising social welfare and human rights standards in the global maritime sector”. Human Rights at Sea today publishes its latest briefing note on exploitative recruitment fees in the maritime sector and calls for an...
Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea on-line platform launched on World Human Rights Day
London. UK.The 10thof December is World Human Rights Day. This is the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and is a key date in the calendar for human rights defenders to profile their valuable, challenging and often dangerous work helping to uphold and develop human rights provisions,...
Bangladesh Supreme Court denounces illegalities and lack of transparency in shipbreaking sector
On 14 November, the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh declared the import, beaching and breaking of the infamous FPSO North Sea Producer illegal. The judgment was issued in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by NGO Shipbreaking Platform member organisation Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA). The Court further noted with...
Labour Abuse: Taiwanese Fisheries Human Rights Baseline Study Published
London, UK. Human Rights at Sea publishes a new baseline study in relation to the Taiwanese coastal and deep water fishing industry responding to ongoing field reporting of systemic human rights abuses for national and migrant crews despite current efforts to curb abuse reflecting international human rights and fisheries standards....
How lawless are the oceans?
Press Release 12 October 2019 London. UK. Monocle 24 Radio’s Foreign Desk has released its latest foreign affairs episode: ‘How lawless are the oceans?’ “In an ever more monitored world, escaping to the high seas might seem like a romantic idea. For some, however, being that far off the grid means being exploited, often...
Ocean Viking assigned a Place of Safety in Lampedusa Italy
Press Release 15th September 2019 London, UK. The Ocean Viking receives instruction to disembark the 82 rescued people in Lampedusa, Italy. First humanitarian search and rescue ship authorized to proceed to an Italian Place of Safety in 14 months. Paris, Marseille, September 14, 2019. On Saturday, September 14, the Ocean Viking was informed...
Keeping our Seafarers Safe. Reporting from Fiji.
Reporting in Fijian media in the July edition of Islands Business Magazine has highlighted the work being undertaken by Human Rights at Sea and NGO partners in the evidential collation of cases of abuses in the Pacific region and particularly in relation to tuna fishing fleets....
New Indian Koli Fishing Community Human Rights Baseline Study published
Reflecting ongoing human rights research work throughout the maritime environment and associated supply chains today Human Rights at Sea publishes their baseline field report for the Koli fishing community who live and work at sea in Mumbai, India. Undertaken in the field during the monsoon period the charity's local researchers spent time with the...
Seafarer abuse continues with low settlement offers for outstanding wages
This evening Human Rights at Sea was contacted in desperation by a seafarer and Indian national 34-year-old Vikas Mishra from Jaunpur who had previously suffered 35 months and 13 days onboard the UAE flagged MV Tamim Aldar owned by Eliteway Marine Services Ltd without pay and seeing his family in what has been a widely...
Independent review of UAE legal and policy protections for Seafarers
Press Release 12th August 2019 Dubai. UAE. / London. UK. Human Rights at Sea today issues an independent review and briefing note on the current legal and policy protections for seafarers operating in United Arab Emirates (UAE) waters following on from the series of high-profile abandonment cases since late 2018 highlighted by the charity’s...
Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency enacts new crew welfare regulations
Press Release 6th August 2019 London. UK. Human Rights at Sea is pleased to report that as of 23 May 2019, the 17 member State Pacific Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) has enacted new agreed minimum terms and conditions in relation to crew employment conditions in support of enhanced protections for Pacific fisheries seafarers largely based...
Pacific Fisheries Abuses: Testimony of Fijian Fishing Widows, Mother and Sister
Press Release 24th July 2019 “He was stabbed with a knife below his heart by a Chinese crewman.” London. UK. In partnership with Fijian-based NGO, Pacific Dialogue, Human Rights at Sea publishes the fifth case study in the current series exposing the consequences and challenges for families of seafarers who have suffered and died as...
Norwegian Flag and owners step up to support new humanitarian rescue vessel in Mediterranean
Press Release 22 July 2019 London, UK. The Norwegian Flag and Norwegian owners have stepped up to provide a new civil society humanitarian rescue vessel the Viking Ocean to be operated in the central Mediterranean reflecting a renewed joint partnership between SOS MEDITERRANEE and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) for the rescue of persons in distress at...
Wallem CEO takes firm line over abuse of seafarer human rights
Press Release 14th July 2019 “Investing in a company or building or trucks and planes is easy. You run out of money, the staff go home. In ships you simply walk away and leave the crew stranded.” Photo Credit: Wallem London. UK. The continued arrest and detainment without supplies of the 13 seafarers onboard...