The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) has published a report on the Sub-regional Dialogue on Labour, Migration and Fisheries Management, held at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, from 11 to 13 December 2013.
The report highlights the issue of migrant labour on board fishing vessels and the problems migrant workers face in their workaday lives.
The Dialogue was a collaborative event between the Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF), the Action Network for Migrants (ANM), Chulalongkorn University (CU), the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME) project of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Participating in the Dialogue as partners were intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), such as the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre (SEAFDEC), and representatives of academia, labour unions, civil society organizations (CSOs), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), vessel owners and fish processors, the Thai Ministry of Labour (MOL) and the Thai Department of Fisheries (DOF).
Since Thailand employs the largest number of migrant fishers in the ASEAN region, the focus of the dialogue was on that country. Over 80 per cent fishers on board Thai vessels originate from Myanmar, Cambodia and Lao PDR. Most of the migrant fishers on Thai fishing vessels are irregular or undocumented migrant fishers, or fishers without any authorization to work.
The Dialogue proposed a seven-point action plan to be shared around three categories, namely, (i) recruitment and employment in fishing; (ii) labour protection; and (iii) regional mechanisms and collaboration with academic and research organizations.
(i) Recruitment and employment in fishing
First, grant fishers, including migrant fishers, the protection of a contract or a written work agreement when being recruited to work on board fishing vessels.
Second, build networks with the States of origin of migrant fishers/workers to provide them pre-departure preparation and assistance. Specific reference was made to the Myanmar Maritime Trade Union (MMTU), and the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN) in the context of Myanmar and Thailand. At the regional level, ILO, IOM and SEAFDEC may be involved.
(ii) Labour protection
Third, modify the Thai Ministerial Regulation No. 10, based on the draft prepared by the MOL, in collaboration with LRCT and ILO.
Fourth, work with the Labour Co-ordination Centres to protect labour in the fishing industry as well as to provide access to information on employment and labour protection in fishing.
Fifth, create a dedicated set of labour inspectors knowledgeable about fishing and fishing labour to ensure labour protection on board fishing vessels rather than drawing on an ad hoc basis from the marine police and the Thai Navy. A training course should be developed for these inspectors.
(iii) Regional mechanisms and collaboration with academic and research organizations
Sixth, bring the fishing industry under the ASEAN Labour Standard, which is currently being developed by LRCT.
Seventh, collaborate with organizations like SEAFDEC and academic and research groups to work on employment and labour issues in the fishing industry.
It was suggested that not only Thai labour laws but Thai fisheries laws also needed amendment to deal with the issue of migrant fishers. It was proposed that the labour network in Thailand should be asked to support the amendment to the Thai Ministerial Regulation No. 10. A labour destination country such as Thailand ought to be the starting point in addressing the problem of migrant fishers.
A working group was formed to take the action programme forward, and to follow up on the Dialogue through activities such as legal reforms, pilot projects, training and capacity building and awareness raising.
The complete text of the report can be downloaded at
http://www.icsf.net/en/proceedings/article/EN/139-enhancing-capac.html?limitstart=0
ICSF is an international non-governmental organization that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just,self-reliant and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector.
For more, please visit www.icsf.net
ICSF 2014