Simple measures can make a world of difference to the lives of thousands of workers aboard Taiwan’s deep-sea fishing fleet.
The News Lens
Date: 2018/05/29
By: Nick Aspinwall
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Greenpeace.
Taiwan’s lucrative deep-water fishing industry has found itself under immense pressure – as detailed in a Greenpeace investigation and a report by The News Lens last week – for its permissive attitude towards the abusive treatment of its largely migrant workforce.
Yesterday, a newly formed NGO coalition called Human Rights for Migrant Fishers (外籍漁工人權保障聯盟) met with representatives from Taiwan’s embattled Fisheries Agency (FA) and the Council of Agriculture (CoA) to demand regulatory changes and increased transparency. Coalition representatives told The News Lens they left cautiously optimistic but hoped the government would participate in sustained dialogue and cooperation.
“I think it’s a positive stance from the government,” said Lennon Ying-dah Wong (汪英達) of Taoyuan’s Serve the People Association, a labor rights organization. “We can accept that it’s hard to fulfill all international standards and NGO’s demands, but we need the sincerity and a schedule to do so from the government.”
Taiwan lags far behind its regional peers in implementing internationally recognized labor standards. If it fails to catch up to fellow fishery heavyweights like Thailand, Taiwan could suffer economic consequences, said Andy Shen of the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF). But he is optimistic that Taiwan can change its regulatory course before it finds itself stranded in a sea of more progressive competitors. [FULL STORY]
