Radio Taiwan International
Date: 02 June, 2020
By: Paula Chao

Labor rights activists urged the government to take steps to protect foreign fishermen at a press conference on Tuesday.[/caption] A civic group is calling on the government to take steps to protect foreign fishermen whose rights have long been ignored by the Fisheries Agency and the National Immigration Agency.

In a video, a foreign fisherman was talking about his plight after being released from quarantine. At a press conference on Tuesday, a labor rights activist accused Taiwanese brokers of exploiting and keeping a tight control on foreign fishermen.

They are fishermen working for Taiwanese whose boats are registered with another country. As of May, there are 228 Taiwanese fishing boats like that.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made life very difficult for foreign fishermen. Without an entry visa, they are not able to enter Taiwan after being released from quarantine on the boat, nor can they return to their own countries.    [FULL  STORY]