TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s migrant fishers are demanding that Taiwan guarantee Wi-fi access while at sea, something that campaigners say will form an essential part of improving the harsh working conditions they face.
Migrant fishers gathered at the Taipei Fish Market on Monday (Feb. 20) to call on the government to ensure there is encrypted Wi-fi on every Taiwanese boat.
The protest marked the launch of the "Wi-fi Now for Fishers Rights at Sea Campaign,” an advocacy platform for migrant fishers who say that Wi-fi is essential to protect workers’ freedom of association on board and prevent labor exploitation.
“(These) serious abuses currently go unheard and unaddressed,” the campaigners said in a statement. “(With Wi-fi) workers would also be able to access health and mental health support when needed.”
Research was conducted on 15 Taiwanese migrant-staffed fishing vessels in 2022 that showed only 11 had access to Wi-fi, though at best, the crew only had access for three hours each day. Following that, the other ships provided access only on some days for a limited time, as short as 15 minutes.
“Fishers who often spend months at sea need to be able to communicate with family, labor unions, advocates, health and other service providers, recruitment agencies, and state officials,” said Father Yance, Director of the Stella Maris Seafarers Center, a Jesuit group advocating for migrant laborers based in Kaohsiung.
The Secretary General of Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) Yi-Hsiang Shih (施逸翔) said that the fishers’ lack of Wi-fi conflicts with Taiwan’s often touted democratic values.
“Taiwan prides itself on being a regional leader in democratic governance and respect for human rights, however, some workers — like migrant fishers — have no way to protect their rights while they are at sea making huge profits for the seafood industry and contributing to the Taiwanese economy,” said Shih.
Indonesian fisher Andris Nabeleng said that for people like him, employers not paying wages is a common problem. “Guaranteed Wi-Fi communication would ensure we get paid and that we can communicate with our union if there is a problem,” he said.
In a statement released in November 2022, the Fisheries Agency of the Department of Agriculture said that it would provide subsidies of NT$3 million (US$99,000) for the purchase of equipment and monthly payments of NT$8000 for subscription fees, per ship. It said that it hopes to have Wi-fi services subsidized to 110 vessels in the next four years.