Labor Groups Criticize Abuses in Thai Fishing Industry
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Labor and anti-trafficking groups are calling for moreaction to reduce rights abuses in Thailand’s profitable fishing industry. Thefishing industry often depends on workers from neighboring countries.
The Thai government is taking steps to stop the abuses. But problems remainfor an industry long dependent on low-cost labor.
Thailand is the third largest exporter of fish and fishery products in the world.Those exports are worth more than eight billion dollars. But the Thai fishingindustry is under attack because of reports of labor rights abuses and humantrafficking. Many of the workers come from Cambodia and Myanmar, alsoknown as Burma.
The United Nation’s International Labor Organization reports that up to 20percent of workers on Thai fishing boats have faced forced labor. Rightsgroups have reported widespread abuses on Thai boats. The groups say the country’s fishing industry remains poorly governed and legislated.
The American-based Human Rights Watch produced a report on the Thaiseafood industry. The report says labor shortages have led the seafoodindustry to turn largely to foreign workers. It says recruitment dealers havetargeted men from Cambodia, Myanmar and even Thailand.
Phil Robertson is deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. He sayssome men were forced to work in the fishing industry. He says they reportedthreats of violence and abuse on fishing boats.
“We continually see problems of physical abuse by captains and otherofficers. Every group of fishermen that Human Rights Watch has talked tosaid they had seen captains, beating, abusing and in some cases killingfishermen. The fisherman falls asleep, is sick, is injured. They are compelledto keep going; they can’t stop work. We found beatings with tools, withstingray tails, also shootings.”
Fishermen face long working hours. Some work up to 20 hours a day. Thereis little time to rest or eat. Only when fishing nets are down in the water andafter the fish are caught and sorted can the workers rest.
A Thai labor department proposal to employ prisoners on boats to make up forlabor shortfalls was rejected after an international outcry.
Patima Tungpuchayakul is with the Seafarers Action Center and Labor RightsPromotion Network Foundation. She says some of those trafficked say theywere drugged before being put on boats. She says many received little or nopay. She also says the conditions on boats often make people want to leave.
She says people have appealed to return home after being at sea up to threeyears. Identification documents and passports are often withheld or throwninto the sea. Many workers fear death if they stay on the boat. So they insteadjump ship to survive.
She says many bodies of fishermen had been uncovered in Indonesia. Atleast nine Thais were confirmed dead. Thirty workers from Myanmar werealso found.
Wanchai Penjabat travelled to Indonesia. He says the need for labor is sogreat that recruiters turn to children and older adults to fill job vacancies onboats.
He says those tricked into working on the boats work like slaves, or worsethan slaves. There are long hours of work. And for many, the conditions arewhat he calls ‘unendurable’.
Phil Robertson says Thailand’s international image in the seafood industry is at stake.
“Overseas the reputation of Thai seafood is now really brought into disrepute.There are many different companies who are sourcing (seafood) fromThailand, now looking at how‘we’ ensure that the fish products that ‘we’re’buying here or the shrimp being raised on fishmeal is not tainted with forcedlabor and trafficked persons sweat and tears.”
Last year, the United States lowered Thailand’s rating in its Trafficking inPersons report. U.S. officials placed Thailand in Tier Three, the lowest ratingpossible. The move leaves Thailand open to financial and other non-humanitarian measures.
The Thai government has reacted with a campaign to end human traffickingand abuses. Steps include a tightening of rules in the fishing industry andincreasing the lowest legal age for workers to 18 years.
The government will also register all boats and require vessel monitoringsystems on all boats by February.
Rights workers say they welcome the legislation and the steps to fighttrafficking. But they add the laws will need to be enforced to be reallyeffective.
I’m Jonathan Evans.
This report was based on a story from reporter Rob Corben in Bangkok. Marsha James wrote it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.