London. UK. / Suva. Fiji. Following the public highlighting on 16 January by Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) of the case of two exploited Indonesian fishers of the Chinese-owned, Fijian-flagged He Shun 38 (No.00359) vessel, both crew are reported as being repatriated to Indonesia on Thursday 28th January with some wages paid. Further, the...
Category: Fishers
Indonesian Fishers fight for Safe Working Conditions and Repatriation from the Marshall Islands
London. UK. / Indonesia. The prevalent issue of poor and abusive conditions for Indonesian migrant fishers continues to be highlighted internationally by local NGOs. Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia has been sharing evidence gathered to further shine a spotlight on fisher's working circumstances, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, which fail to reflect the safety...
Ongoing investigation of Indonesian fishers abandoned and exploited in Fiji
London, UK. / Suva, Fiji. Humanitarian ship visitors working with the UK charitable NGO, Human Rights at Sea, have been alerted to exploited Indonesian crew on a Chinese owned Fijian-flagged long-liner abandoned in the Port of Suva without their wages apparently being paid for 12 months. Crew circumstances include having to continue to work...
Global Fishing Watch satellite data sheds light on slavery at sea
Press Release Tuesday 22 December London. UK. Vessels known to have crew that are subject to forced labor behave in systematically different ways to the rest of the global fishing fleet, reveals a new paper published today in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The discovery was used to build...
Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea receives Europeche endorsement
London. UK. During the recent 19 November 2020 webinar covering the latest updates in respect of the ILO Work in Fishing (C188) Convention, Ment van der Zwan, employers’ spokesman in the EU social dialogue committee on sea-fisheries of Europeche, highlighted the need to reflect the four fundamental principles of the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights...
Pacific Fisheries Observer Safety, Security and Well-being Reports Published
London, UK. Human Rights at Sea today issues two new major international peer-reviewed reports focusing on Fisheries Observer safety, security and well-being in the Western and Central Pacific region, including for Observers employed by Commonwealth States through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations....
Reports of human rights abuse towards Indonesian fishers increasing
London. UK. Increasing numbers of cases of human and labour rights abuse towards Indonesian fishers on foreign flagged vessels are coming to light. Most recently, international NGOs, including Human Rights at Sea, have been contacted with evidence highlighting the fishers' plight, the poor working conditions in which they are forced to work and allegations...
Insight Briefing Note: Slavery at Sea and Emperors of the Deep
London. UK. / New York. USA. Human Rights at Sea today publishes the latest in its series of Insight Briefing Notes looking at the work by US-based film-maker, author and ocean conservationist William McKeever into the issues of slavery at sea, working conditions, the need for fisheries observers, and the effects on the shark...
Alleged Murdered Kiribati Fisheries Observer Family left without Financial Support
London. UK. At sea, fisheries observers are employed to provide oversight of the fish caught by commercial operators ensuring that the catch is correctly logged, and healthy fish stocks are maintained to ensure the sustainability of the world's oceans. Tragically, some fisheries observers are subject the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, work in fear...
Fijian Fishers Exploitative and Dangerous Working Conditions Exposed
"‘Once I was transshipped . I was put into a steel crate (the one they keep fish in) along with my belongings and my papers in a plastic bag. They put floats or buoys around the crate so that it would float; they gave me a torch. It...
Social Protection of Fishers and Development of the Geneva Declaration on Human Rights at Sea
"My ultimate aim is that fishermen, flag state nationals and migrant fishermen alike, are treated in accordance with universal human rights and the standards on safety at sea in fishing in its broad sense and that the next common fisheries policy incorporates the outlines of a responsible policy on safety at sea protecting life...
VIDEO. Indian Fishermen stranded in Iran without pay and food running low
'After the pilgrims and students then we will come to the fishermen'. London. UK. Human Rights at Sea has been requested to raise the plight of up to an assessed 1000 Indian fishermen stranded in and around Kish Island, Iran, without work and pay since 24 February, and who are now running very short...
South Western Fish Producer Organisation releases 2019 Business and Human Rights Audit
London, UK / Ivybridge, Devon, UK. Today, sees the public release of the inaugural South Western Fish Producers Organisation (SWFPO) Ltd Business and Human Rights Audit dated 10 January 2019 through the Human Rights at Sea independent platform. Commenced in late 2018 and submitted in January 2019, the comprehensive report was commissioned by SWFPO...
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...