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Indonesian migrant fishers say abuse left them trapped on foreign ships

Akhmad, who left Indonesia in 2022 for a Chinese-flagged tuna vessel, described work with as little as four hours of rest a day and limited access to the outside world.

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Agence France-Presse reports that an Indonesian migrant fisher, identified only as Akhmad, said he was lured by promises of good pay to work on a foreign fishing vessel but ended up facing months of abuse and exploitation while being effectively cut off from the outside world.

Akhmad, 25, said he departed from Cirebon on Java in 2022 and worked on a Chinese-flagged tuna fishing vessel. He described getting as little as four hours of rest per day, adding that if he became sleepy he was told to stay awake and continue working.

SCMP Economy notes that Indonesia is a top contributor of labor for the global fishing industry, with several hundred thousand migrant workers, according to government figures. Experts cited by the outlet say many workers are recruited online and assigned to foreign-flagged ships without being properly informed about their rights.

Akhmad also said crew members had little communication with the outside world and reported regular verbal and physical abuse on board, including an incident where the captain beat a colleague accused of stealing fish the crew had caught.

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