During the 13th Meeting of the 1st Session of the National Human Rights Commission, the following resolution was passed: “Collate all of the Control Yuan's foreign fishermen investigations and produce a national special report on the human rights of migrant fishers.”
In this report, six Control Yuan investigations on foreign fishermen provided the starting point for a systematic review of each case. The report began by looking at the unusual nature of work at sea and then went on to analyze the issues with having a dual-track regulatory system for domestically-hired and overseas-hired fishermen; the origins of Flag of Convenience (FOC) vessels and their problems; forced labor and corporate responsibility in transnational supply chains; applicable international covenants and human rights guidelines; as well as the difficulties caused by the unique international status of Taiwan.
The pertinent problems were collated and narrowed down to eight main aspects. In response to the push from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to “end forced labor in the distant water fishery,” a formal request was sent out to all the applicable agencies for information on their current implementation and feasibility assessments. A variety of methods, including the hosting of professional forums, on-site inspections at Cijin and Cianjhen fishing harbors in Kaohsiung, as well as at Nanfang'ao fishing harbor in the Su'ao Township of Yilan, industry-government-academic exchange seminars, three governmental seminars, and one focus group discussion on key topics were used for fact-finding and to look for answers.
This report made practical recommendations in four areas: 1. Effectively improving labor conditions and ensuring equality; 2. Regulating FOC vessels through international cooperation; 3. Strengthening brokerage management to prevent double-exploitation; 4. Combating forced labor on the high seas and timely handling complaints.
A sustainable fishery must be based upon the sustainability of human rights. Distant water fisheries in particular are not only subject to the global fishery governance requirements of international maritime law but are also regulated by international labor conventions. Fishery operators must comply with international human rights standards to ensure market access for their catch. Ultimately, we look forward to the government and the private sector's continued collaboration on reforms to eliminate slavery on the high seas.