Taiwan Church News
3473 Edition
September 17 – 23, 2018
Topical News Taiwan Fishing Industry And Government Urged To Comply ILO C188 On Seaworthiness And Human Rights Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong When the Kaohsiung fishing boat, Fuh Sheng No.11, was detained at Cape Town of South Africa due to a failed seaworthiness in May 2018, its poor laboring conditions becomes a more serious humanitarian concern among many NGO groups. Especially, many interviews and photos show that many protected marine species, including the endangered Hammer Head Shark, were slaughtered only to keep their fins for restaurant’s use during Fuh Sheng’s fishing operation. According to an investigative interview of the sailors made by by EJF, Environmental Justice Foundation, during Fuh Sheng’s release from Cape Town and harbored at Mauritius, many fishermen expresses they often get abused in very poor working conditions, including physical violence, scarce medicine, insufficient sleep, overtime work. Also these crew members are seriously underpaid below the minimum wages prescribed by Taiwan government. For example, some Fuh Sheng fishermen could only earn US$ 50 dollars per month, during the very beginning five successive months when they started to work on boat. EJF, therefore, urges Taiwan government to speed up reform on labor conditions and human rights for mass fishermen employed in Taiwan’s fishing industry. Especially, when Taiwan’s fishing regulation is still listed by EU as a yellow-card-country under IUU(ignorant, unreported and unregulated), and the EU official inspection on Taiwan’s regulation audit is forthcoming, Taiwan government is urged by EJF to overhaul her notorious international fishing industry. Translated by Peter Wolfe |