Owner Quan Do, who brings his workers from Vietnam, said profits depend on the catch. It costs $35,000 just to head out to sea. If the fish are biting, he can double his money.
“Fishing, it’s a gamble,” he said, loading groceries onto the Lady Jackie docked at Pier 17. “If you’re lucky, you win. If you’re not, you lose.”
The former refugee is one of many Vietnamese-Americans who sailed from the Gulf of Mexico to Hawaii’s rich Pacific waters in the 1980s, tripling the state’s commercial fleet. A decade later, owners found themselves short on local crew and turned to overseas workers as a solution.
In the Gulf, foreign laborers also are fishing on oyster, shrimp and menhaden vessels. But unlike in Hawaii, they’re allowed on shore, and some get paid $14 an hour for eight-hour shifts. In addition, boat owners must file for costly permits certifying no U.S. citizens are available to work.
Over the years, environmental and labor advocates in Honolulu have complained that in a state with high unemployment, the foreign workers take away U.S. jobs. However, few in Hawaii are lining up for the grueling work, weeks at sea and low pay.
Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, acknowledges the fishermen’s liberties are limited and has unsuccessfully proposed an amendment that would allow them to fly into the country. It’s a move that would fix a widely accepted paradox. Currently, even though the men never legally enter the United States, the government provides a transit visa that lets them exit through Honolulu’s airport.
AP reporters watched as two fishermen from Kiribati prepared to fly out. They weren’t allowed to touch their passports, which were handed to a contracted driver in a black SUV. They would not be paid until arriving home.
Bill Paupe said he’s alerted at the Kiribati Consulate in Honolulu every time a worker leaves, but he’s otherwise not involved: “They’re technically not here.”
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