ILO Survey Finds 13% of Migrant Fish Workers in Forced Labour

The study significantly expands available data on labour practices in fishing and seafood processing, providing one of the clearest pictures yet of systemic vulnerabilities in supply chains that feed global seafood markets.

A landmark regional survey by the International Labour Organization (ILO) has uncovered persistent decent work deficits for migrant workers in Asia’s fishing and seafood processing industries, with an estimated one in eight workers (13 per cent) found to be in situations of forced labour.

The report, Towards fair seas: Recruitment and working conditions for migrant workers in the fishing and seafood processing sectors in South-East Asia, calls for urgent ratification and full implementation of international labour standards governing recruitment, work in fishing and forced labour.

Largest Study of Its Kind

Produced under the European Union-funded ILO Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia programme, the survey is the most comprehensive assessment to date of migrant working and living conditions in the region’s blue economy.

It examines both major countries of origin — Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar and Viet Nam — and key destinations, including China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China) and Thailand.

The study significantly expands available data on labour practices in fishing and seafood processing, providing one of the clearest pictures yet of systemic vulnerabilities in supply chains that feed global seafood markets.

Forced Labour Prevalent in Fishing Sector

Applying the ILO’s forced labour measurement methodology, researchers found stark disparities between subsectors:

• 20 per cent of migrant fishers were estimated to be in forced labour situations

• 0.4 per cent of seafood processing workers faced forced labour

Overall, 13 per cent of migrant workers surveyed were working against their will and unable to leave their employment.

The findings point to widespread problems including:

• High recruitment fees and debt bondage

• Inadequate wage protection

• Excessive work hours

• Serious occupational injuries

• Barriers to unionisation

• Gaps in social protection

The situation is particularly acute aboard distant-water tuna fishing vessels, where workers often spend extended periods at sea under minimal oversight.

“The location for this type of fishing, which is often carried out in remote fishing grounds on the high seas where law enforcement is very limited, further exacerbates the risk for migrant fishers,” the report notes.

Gender Gaps in Seafood Processing

While conditions were found to be comparatively better in seafood processing facilities than at sea, the report warns of persistent rights gaps across the supply chain.

A significant proportion of seafood processing workers are women migrants, frequently employed in low-paid, precarious and informalised roles. The report says their vulnerabilities have not received sufficient policy attention.

Regional Economic Stakes

Fishing, aquaculture and seafood processing are central to livelihoods and national economies across Asia.

Of the estimated 61.8 million people working globally in fisheries and aquaculture, around 52.7 million are in Asia. In some Asian countries, the blue economy accounts for up to 20 per cent of GDP.

Given the sector’s scale, the ILO warns that labour governance failures risk undermining both human rights and long-term economic sustainability.

Call for Binding Labour Standards

The report urges governments across the region to ratify and fully implement international labour standards related to:

• Recruitment practices

• Work in fishing

• Forced labour

It also calls for stronger enforcement mechanisms and for migrant workers to be guaranteed the right to form trade unions and bargain collectively.

“Decent work deficits in the fishing and seafood processing sector reflect structural weaknesses in how labour and migration are governed across the region,” said Tuomo Poutiainen, ILO Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

“Addressing these challenges requires coordinated action by governments, employers and workers to ensure accountability throughout the supply chain.”

EU: Progress Made, But Gaps Remain

Luisa Ragher, European Union Ambassador to Thailand, acknowledged improvements in recent years but stressed that significant challenges remain.

“Important advances have been achieved in increasing adherence to international labour standards in the fishing and seafood processing industries in recent years. However, as the findings of this report clearly show, ensuring decent work for migrant workers is a regional challenge and much more needs to be done,” she said.

A Broader Push for Safe Migration

The findings form part of the Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia initiative, a regional programme funded by the EU and implemented by the ILO in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The programme seeks to promote safe migration pathways and decent work across the fish and seafood supply chain, tackling vulnerabilities that can lead to exploitation, labour abuse and forced labour.

As global seafood demand continues to grow, the report underscores a pressing challenge for governments and industry alike: ensuring that the region’s vast blue economy delivers not only economic value, but also fair and decent work for the millions of migrant workers who sustain it.