OUT AT SEA, OUT OF SIGHT - Scalabrini Migration Center

OUT AT SEA, OUT OF SIGHT:

FILIPINO, INDONESIAN AND VIETNAMESE FISHERMEN ON TAIWANESE FISHING VESSELS

16 MARCH 2020

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OUT AT SEA, OUT OF SIGHT:

Scalabrini Migration Center ? Quezon City, Philippines

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A report of the

Cover photo credits: Photo by Jens Rademacher on Unsplash Layout: Mary Con Kimberly Juanillo Suggested citation: Asis, Maruja M.B. 2019. Out at Sea, Out of Sight: Filipino, Indonesian and Vietnamese Fishermen on Taiwanese Fishing Vessels. Quezon City: Scalabrini Migration Center.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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This research was part of "The Future of Work, Labour After Laudato S?" global initiative that connected Catholic-inspired and other faith-based organizations to help promote and implement Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato S? in areas related to work. The initiative brought together international, regional, state and local actors to improve global governance and to highlight just policies and good practices. The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) led the research track for this project on "Jobs, demography and migration." The study on Southeast Asian fishermen working on Taiwanese fishing vessels is one of three studies commissioned by ICMC. SMC is grateful to ICMC for the opportunity to work on this research project and for its support and encouragement.

This study would not have been possible without the participation of the migrant fishermen from Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Words are not enough to express our deepest appreciation to the research participants who accommodated our request for an interview. Despite their limited time for rest, they generously shared precious moments with us and trusted us with their stories. Thank you to the research team--Fr. Lucio Bula, Fr. Heribertus Mangkur, and Fr. Tran Van Thiet--who recruited the research participants, conducted the interviews, and translated the interviews into English. Ms. Allison Lee, co-founder and SecretaryGeneral of Yilan Migrant Fishermen Union, Ms. Leoni Pascual Ngo of the Migrant Workers Concern Desk, and Fr. Franco Lacanaria of St. Christopher's Church, Taipei, provided valuable insights on the issues of migrant fishermen in Taiwan. Colleagues at the Scalabrini Migration Center are always a source of support. Sincere thanks to Ms. Mary Con Kimberly Juanillo for excellent research support.

Maruja M.B. Asis, PhD Executive Director Scalabrini Migration Center

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Out at Sea, Out of Sight March 2020

The fishing sector is a significant contributor to Taiwan's economy. As in other countries, Taiwan's fishing activities are classified into three types: distant water fisheries (i.e., fishing activities conducted in areas outside the country's 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ); coastal and offshore fisheries (i.e., fishing activities conducted in Taiwan's internal waters, territorial sea and EEZ), and aquaculture (more than 100 aquatic species are cultivated in the country's fish farms). Taiwan's fishing sector has increasingly relied on migrant fishermen for both distant water fishing and domestic fishing.

In recent years, the appalling conditions of migrant fishermen in Taiwan's fishing sector have been reported by the media, attracting international attention in the same way that the plight of migrant fishermen in Thailand was exposed by the media and human rights organizations.

Figure 1 When they are not at sea, fishermen get some rest, or they attend to other tasks, such as mending nets. (Photo by Marla Asis)

Figure 2 A day off onshore is precious time for migrant fishermen. (Photo by Fr. Tran Van Thiet)

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