Safeguarding Against, and Addressing Fishers’ Exploitation at Sea

What are we doing?

Activities will include strengthening, or creating when necessary, rules, institutions, and processes that protect workers, while also strengthening workers’ awareness of rights and reporting abilities.

SAFE Seas uses a rights-based approach in its programming, which embraces the inalienable rights of citizens, and advocates for the legal obligations of governments to realize those rights. These rights include the ability to live in freedom and safety, free from trafficking and torture, and the right to decent work, among others. The project includes engagement from the private sector to strengthen the safety of workers, along with global supply chains. A Safe Fishing Alliance is being created with major fishing industry companies, and key government and civil society actors, which want to eliminate exploitative and unfair competition.

Innovative uses of technology strengthen the impact of hotlines and reporting methods, as well as provide centralized portals for information and communication. Collaboration between governments, fish workers, the private sector, civil society and communities are utilized to achieve this holistic approach.

The project is based in Jakarta and Manila for national advocacy and implemented in several districts within both countries that are known to use risky fishing practices.

Project stats and facts:

• The project is strengthening regulations and policies to address labor exploitation on fishing vessels.
• The project works with relevant government agencies to improve coordination and raise the profile of labor issues.
• The project encourages the use of multi-disciplinary inspection models to include checks for forced labor, human trafficking and other exploitative practices on fishing vessels.
• The project engaged the private sector to establish the Safe Fishing Alliance (SFA).
• -The project engages with fishers to help ensure that reporting mechanisms are relevant, accessible and responsive to their cases and needs.
• The project engages other international organizations that have experience in forced labor/trafficking in persons to work on solutions to help reduce incidences.