Last month, Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency (TFA) convened a meeting at its headquarters in Kaohsiung to discuss the draft of the 2026-2029 Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights. The Wi-Fi NOW for Fishers’ Rights advocacy campaign is urging TFA, which oversees Taiwan’s $2 billion fishing industry, to incorporate meaningful reforms in the national action plan to protect the rights of foreign fishers. One key demand is the adoption of the campaign’s operational guidelines, mandating the provision of Wi-Fi for migrant fishers in Taiwan’s distant-water fleet.
According to the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), for the past two years, migrant fishers and civil society organizations involved in the Wi-Fi NOW for Fishers' Rights campaign have been advocating for better working conditions for foreign fishers in Taiwan’s distant-water fleet. The campaign has repeatedly raised concerns with TFA regarding forced labor, wage theft, and violations of health and safety regulations. It has also emphasized the importance of providing all distant-water fisheries with mandatory, free, and secure Wi-Fi. This measure is crucial for safeguarding their rights, including enabling participation in union activities, reporting accidents and grievances, monitoring wage payments, accessing telemedicine services, and overcoming isolation by allowing communication with family, unions, and support organizations. The campaign urges TFA to closely listen to the voices of fishers and frontline industry workers.
TAHR noted that under the leadership of TFA’s newly appointed director-general, the agency is currently revising its Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights, refocusing efforts on aligning Taiwan’s fishing industry with international human rights and labor standards. The campaign has provided TFA with detailed recommendations and demonstration guidelines for implementing Wi-Fi access for fishers.
Shi Yi-Xiang, a senior researcher at TAHR, stated: "We appreciate the commitment of Taiwan’s new Fisheries Agency director-general to revising the Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights. We urge TFA to adopt our recommendations, including the mandatory provision of Wi-Fi, which will enable fishers to exercise their labor rights, form and join unions, and protect themselves from labor exploitation. We call on the new director-general to seize this crucial opportunity to implement meaningful reforms, positioning Taiwan as a responsible trade partner that can assure international buyers that seafood from Taiwan is ethically sourced and free from forced labor risks."
Mudzakir, president of the Indonesian Seafarers’ Community – Pingtung Migrant Fishermen Union (FOSPI-PMFU), emphasized: "The isolation of migrant fishers at sea and their lack of communication with the outside world pose a significant risk of forced labor. This endangers fishers’ lives and threatens the distant-water fishing industry. Fishers must have a way to voice their concerns and organize in unions without fear of retaliation. Providing mandatory, free, and secure Wi-Fi, along with protections against retaliation, will help create a safer working environment and protect both fishers and the industry."
The Wi-Fi NOW for Fishers’ Rights campaign is an international initiative working in collaboration with allies from the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, and Indonesia. Partner organizations include the Indonesian Seafarers’ Community – Pingtung Migrant Fishermen Union (FOSPI-PMFU), Global Labor Justice (GLJ), Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR), Stella Maris Kaohsiung, Serve the People Association (SPA), and the Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC) in Japan.
[NOWNEWS / International News Center]2025-03-05 18:28:05
[Photo by Reporter Ye Zheng-Xun / Taiwan Association for Human Rights ]