Indonesian Migrant Workers Report Abuse on Foreign Fishing Vessels

Indonesian migrant fish workers describe enduring months of abuse and overwork after being lured by promises of high wages onto foreign-owned fishing vessels ^[1].

These accounts highlight the vulnerability of several hundred thousand Indonesian workers ^[3] in the global fishing industry who often face exploitation by vessel owners profiting from cheap labor and illegal trade.

Akhmad, 25 ^[1], left Cirebon on Java island in 2022 ^[2] to seek better opportunities. He and fellow worker Jamaludin were recruited with expectations of good pay, but the reality consisted of grueling conditions and systemic abuse ^[1]. The exploitation occurred on foreign-flagged vessels that operated far from home, eventually off-loading shark fins in Dakar, Senegal ^[1].

Beyond the physical toll, the workers were forced to participate in illegal activities. Jamaludin said, "We were forced to catch shark fins even though we knew it could be illegal" ^[2]. This forced labor is part of a wider pattern where workers are trapped by their distance from shore and the desperation for income.

The physical exhaustion was severe for those on board. "The work was exhausting and I saw stars," Akhmad said ^[2]. These conditions are common for those caught in the cycle of recruitment fraud, where the promise of a stable livelihood leads to months of confinement at sea.

Indonesian workers remain a primary target for these operations due to the scale of the migrant workforce and the lack of oversight on the high seas. The movement of illegal goods, such as shark fins, further incentivizes owners to keep crews in abusive conditions to avoid detection and maximize profit ^[3].