As Typhoon Usagi and three other storms approach, migrant fishers fear that government inaction could endanger their lives
During Typhoons Krathon and Kong-Rey, migrant fishers were forced to stay on their vessels during the storms, risking their safety and livelihoods
Taipei - As a rare November typhoon and three other powerful storms approach, unions and civil society organizations with the Wi-Fi NOW for Fishers’ Rights campaign urgently call on the government and the seafood industry to take immediate action to protect fishers’ lives and facilitate their safe evacuation, in accordance with Taiwanese law, agency guidelines, and international standards.
“Authorities must take decisive action by proactively visiting fishing ports to guarantee that crews are evacuated before a typhoon makes landfall. Waiting until a storm is underway poses significant danger, and timely evacuations are essential for ensuring safety,” said Mudzakir, Chair of the Indonesian Seafarers Gathering Forum (FOSPI).
“Crew members are so fearful of being terminated that we do not dare to take the risk of looking for shelter during a storm. We believe we must remain on the ship because if damage occurs due to a storm, we, as crew members, will be held responsible,” said Nofian, a fisher and FOSPI member.
According to news reports, migrant fishers were compelled to remain on their vessels during Typhoon Krathon in early October and again during Typhoon Kong-rey in late October, despite demands from unions and civil society organizations. The government and industry’s failure to safely evacuate crew members during historically powerful typhoons breaches Taiwan’s Disaster Prevention and Protection Act and the guidelines outlined in the Fisheries Agency’s “Principles for Docking Fishing Vessels and Sheltering Crew Members,” as well as disregards international labor standards that affirm workers' fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment. The failure of governments at both the national and county levels to enforce existing laws and regulations has permitted employers who violate these standards to avoid accountability and continue this negligent practice.
There are no clear signs that the Fisheries Agency and county governments will enforce their laws and regulations to require employers to permit crew members to take shelter on land. With yet another typhoon approaching Taiwan this season, the seafood industry is once again disregarding safety concerns for fishers. Vessel owners are failing to adhere to labor safety standards, while seafood buyers and brands that source from them continue to turn a blind eye.
“Enough is enough. Forcing fishers to remain on vessels during a typhoon shows a shocking disregard for their lives. The government’s own Fisheries Agency is allowing vessel owners to break the law by keeping migrant fishers on board during typhoons,” said Lennon Wong, director of the Migrant Workers Policy Office of the SPA.
“Fishers should not be forced to stay on board during a dangerous storm to guard and protect the ship. This is unthinkable and should not be practiced for any reason,” said Father Nguyen Duy Trinh from Stella Maris Kaohsiung.
“The government and seafood industry must prioritize the safety of fishers over vessels. We are a nation that prides itself on our commitment to human rights. It is unacceptable that we must keep reminding the government and seafood industry that human lives should be prioritized over equipment,” said Shih Yi-hsiang from Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR).
“As Climate Change also affects the fishing industry, how many typhoons must hit Taiwan before the seafood industry, including seafood brands, stops allowing migrant fishers' lives to be put at risk and discarded? The seafood industry is fully aware that fishers are being abandoned on vessels during one typhoon after another. Yet, it chooses to turn a blind eye,” said Valery Algaza, Deputy Director of Global Labor Justice.
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2024/11/14
發稿團體：Wi-Fi Now for Fisher’s Rights 倡議團隊
【台灣台北 - 11月14日】 - 隨著罕見的十一月颱風和其他三場強颱來襲，工會和民間組織與 Wi-Fi NOW for Fishers' Rights 倡議運動緊急呼籲政府和海鮮產業立即採取行動，保護漁工的生命，並根據台灣法律和機構指引，協助他們安全撤離。這些風暴對台灣外籍漁工的生命和健康構成嚴重威脅，根據他們在山陀兒颱風、康芮颱風和之前風暴中的經驗，他們幾乎沒有理由相信自己會被安全疏散。
「政府必須採取果斷的行動，主動前往漁港，以確保船員在颱風登陸前撤離。」印尼海員同鄉聯誼會 （FOSPI） 主席 Mudzakir 表示：「等到風暴來臨時才撤離會造成重大危險，及時撤離是確保安全的必要條件。
「船員們非常害怕被解僱，所以我們不敢冒險在颱風期間尋找庇護所。我們相信我們必須留在船上，因為如果風暴造成損壞，我們作為船員將承擔責任。」漁工同時也是 FOSPI 成員的Nofian如此表示。
根據新聞報導，儘管工會與民間組織提出要求，外籍漁工在十月初的山陀兒颱風與十月底的康芮颱風襲港期間，仍被迫留在船上。政府和產業界在史上強大的颱風期間，未能安全疏散船員，違反了台灣的《災害防救法》和漁業署的「颱風期間漁船進港及船員避風處理原則」中概述的準則，以及完全沒有確保工人享有符合國際勞工標準的安全和健康工作環境的基本權利。國家中央和地方政府都沒有執行現有的法律和法規，導致違反這些標準的雇主逃避責任並繼續這種疏忽的做法。
現在，隨著另一個颱風的即將來臨，仍沒有明顯的跡象顯示漁業署和各地方政府會執行其法律和法規，要求雇主允許船員在陸地避風。
「夠了，夠了。強迫漁工在颱風期間留在船上，顯示出對漁工生命的漠視，令人震驚。桃園市群眾服務協會（SPA）移工政策處主任汪英達表示：「政府自己的漁業署允許船東在颱風期間將外籍漁工留在船上，這是違法的。」
「漁工不應被迫在危險的颱風期間留在船上看守和保護船隻。高雄海星國際服務中心 Stella Maris 的 阮維慶Nguyen Duy Trinh 神父說：「這是不可思議的，不該以任何理由如此實行。」
「政府和漁業產業必須把漁工的安全放在首位，而不是船隻。我們是一個以致力於人權為榮的國家。來自台灣人權促進會（Taiwan Association for Human Rights，簡稱TAHR）的施逸翔說：「我們必須不斷提醒政府和漁業產業，人命應比設備優先，而現在的作法是不可接受的。」
「由於氣候變遷也影響了漁業，到底要經歷多少次颱風襲台，包括海鮮品牌在內的漁業產業才會停止讓外籍漁工的生命面臨危險甚至被拋棄？」全球勞工正義」(Global Labor Justice) 副主任 Valery Algaza表示：「海鮮產業完全知道漁工在一次又一次的颱風中被拋棄在船上，但卻選擇視而不見。」
