Protecting Fishers Takes Centre Stage in the Regional Fight Against Illegal Fishing

Responsible fishing involves the welfare of the people working aboard vessels as much as the sustainable management of fish stocks, according to RPOA-IUU Secretariat Executive Director Saiful Umam.

The people who bring seafood to shore need safe workplaces, fair treatment and decent living conditions at sea, protections that regional fisheries discussions are placing closer to the centre of efforts against illegal fishing. A two-day workshop that opened in Jakarta on 15 September brought together governments, labour authorities, law enforcement agencies, fisher representatives and business operators to explore how protecting crews can help tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

The meeting was convened by the Secretariat of the Regional Plan of Action to Promote Responsible Fishing Practices including Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, known as RPOA-IUU, in close collaboration with the International Labour Organization. Participants examined the links between labour exploitation and fishing violations, sharing national experiences and discussing practical ways to make decent working conditions part of regional fisheries management.

The Human Cost Behind Illegal Fishing

Responsible fishing involves the welfare of the people working aboard vessels as much as the sustainable management of fish stocks, according to RPOA-IUU Secretariat Executive Director Saiful Umam. He stressed that governments have a responsibility to ensure fishing activities provide safe, healthy and fair working and living conditions consistent with internationally agreed standards, encouraging participating countries to include these protections in their national fisheries management systems.

Vice Executive Director Yudhistira Rizky Abdillah described how operators that disregard fishing rules may cut costs at the expense of crew welfare. He pointed to the 2024 transnational case involving FV Run Zeng 03 and 05, which Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia worked together to resolve. According to Abdillah, the vessels were involved in illegal fishing and associated offences and failed to provide decent working conditions, illustrating why evidence of one unlawful activity should prompt scrutiny of other aspects of a vessel's operations.

Putting Crew Welfare Into Fisheries Rules

ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste Simrin Singh welcomed the inclusion of decent work for fishers in the RPOA-IUU work plan, describing it as an important step towards bringing labour and social concerns into responsible fisheries management. Her message connected the protection of marine resources with the protection of crews: abuse and exploitation undermine the foundations of a sustainable fishing industry, making safe working and living conditions an essential part of the regional response.

The workshop examined the ILO Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188), covering conditions of work and service, occupational safety and health, medical care and social security. Participants also considered regional crew welfare standards adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and ASEAN, discussing how international and regional approaches could guide stronger protections for fishers within national systems.

Turning Regional Discussions Into Practical Protection

Recommendations included bringing national legislation into line with the principles of Convention No. 188 and relevant regional crew welfare standards, improving coordination between agencies responsible for safety and working conditions, and incorporating international labour standards into regional frameworks. Participating countries shared their experiences and practices to help identify workable steps for integrating decent working conditions into RPOA-IUU strategies, keeping attention on how these commitments could be applied across the sector.

The broader regional effort includes Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia, an EU-funded initiative implemented by the ILO in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Its focus on safe migration and decent work supports a sustainable fish and seafood supply chain in South-East Asia, reflecting the workshop's central message that responsible fisheries depend on the treatment of the people whose labour sustains them.