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Indonesian fishermen aboard the Chinese fishing vessel Long Xing 629 (Image: SCMP)
Facing hunger and thirst
Fishermen, ages 20 to 35, said they were sometimes forced to work up to 2 days without rest, violence and discrimination, facing hunger and thirst.
In 13 months, four of them died and three bodies were dumped into the sea before the last remaining group of fishermen landed in South Korea in April. The survivors returned to Indonesia last week. where thousands of dollars of unpaid wages still await.
The incident shocked Indonesia last week after a video of what appeared to be a burial at sea was released, prompting Jakarta to summon Chinese ambassadors to explain and condemn the “inhumane” treatment. for fishermen The Indonesian National Police criminal investigation unit launched an official investigation that Beijing said it was coordinating.
The Chinese foreign ministry said Thursday it was investigating the case, but added that some of the allegations were inconsistent with the information it gathered, although it did not elaborate.
Although the exact cause of death of Indonesian fishermen is still unknown, the fishermen’s testimony to lawyers and their supporters in Indonesia and South Korea, and information from the United States Advanced Defense Studies Research Center (C4ADS ) collected show that they lived in miserable conditions before dying.
In addition to being beaten and scolded by Chinese fishermen, Indonesian fishermen say they often have to work up to 21 hours a day with jobs like boat checking and seafood grading.
They reported meals with rice and some fish in an unhygienic state and were forced to drink salty or distilled seawater during the trip, while Chinese fishermen received bottled water.
“Three fishermen died on the boat. One died after arriving in Korea, during a 14-day period of isolation, “said Jong Chul Kim, a South Korean lawyer who interviewed Indonesian fishermen while they were in isolation for 14 days in Busan before returning. Indonesia said.
“The symptoms are quite similar: body edema, chest pain, shortness of breath. The first fisherman killed began showing symptoms approximately a month before his death, but the captain did not take him to the hospital, “added the lawyer.
Long Xing 629 has also been accused of participating in shark fin operations, in which the fish fins were removed from the fish and their bodies were thrown into the ocean. The images provided by the fishermen appear to be piles of blood-stained fish scattered on the deck of the boat.
Deep sea fishing is difficult to monitor
The scene of shark fin cutting on Chinese fishing vessels (Image: SCMP)
Tens of thousands of migrant workers from Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia are recruited through brokers to work on Chinese, Taiwanese, Thai and Korean fishing vessels each year. Anti-trafficking activists believe they are at risk of being exploited due to a lack of maritime surveillance.
As fishing becomes increasingly difficult and expensive due to overfishing, the fishing industry increasingly employs vulnerable migrant workers to maintain profitability.
Activists, on the other hand, have a direct link between depleted fishery resources, human rights abuses, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
“IUU fishing, like shark fin cuts and human rights abuses, will continue to haunt the global offshore fishing fleet,” said Arifsyah M. Nasution, head of the ocean campaign at Peace. Southeast Asian green said.
According to activists and contracts SCMP As you can see, most of the fishermen come from poor families and they are promised a salary of 300-450 USD per month under a 2-year contract. But each contract has deductions of up to hundreds of USD.
The cost of returning home will be borne by the workers if they do not complete the contract and at least one has an agreement that allows the recruiting company to sue the fishermen’s family for the losses suffered.
Lawyer Kim, who has been involved in cases involving migrant fishermen for about a decade, said the contracts and working conditions they faced “constitute human and labor trafficking.” forced action. “
“Although they face this labor exploitation, they cannot abandon the ship. There was a contractual obligation to keep them at sea, for 13 months without land. The captain keeps their passports as soon as they get on the ship, “said the lawyer.
According to C4ADS, Dalian Ocean Fishing Company, a Chinese company that owns Long Xing 629, takes Indonesian fishermen to work in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean near Samoa.
C4ADS used public data, including company records, ship ownership records, ship data, and crew statements to identify the company. Consequently, the company owns 32 fishing vessels used to catch tuna.
The first Indonesian fisherman, Sepri, died on Long Xing 629 on December 21, 2019. The second person died 6 days after being transferred to his sister ship Long Xing 802. In March, a fisherman named Ari died after being transferred to Tian Yu 8. No one received medical assistance. On time, unknown drugs were given instead, according to the fishermen. Lawyer Kim said the remaining fishermen finally demanded to go home after the second death.
Ilyas Pangestu, president of the Indonesian Fisheries Association, representing the fishermen, has called for a detailed investigation into the deaths.
“A post mortem examination or a medical examination will be needed. They have not addressed health problems on board by consulting their doctors or having adequate medical care, ”he said, adding that he was concerned about working conditions on ships.
Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said last week that he spoke to the Chinese ambassador to Indonesia, Xiao Qian, to express concern over the living conditions of the fishermen and ask for clarification on whether the funeral was held. . Currently complies with the provisions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) or not.
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