Migrant workers keep Thai fishing industry afloat

PATTANI, September 25, 2013 (AFP) - Sifting through freshly caught sardines at a port in southern Thailand, Shi-Jai is one of thousands of migrant workers -- including women and children -- who keep the kingdom's huge fishing industry in business.

Each day a small army of labourers from countries including Myanmar and Cambodia -- some legal, some undocumented -- man rusting trawlers or help offload and sort the catch at ports around the country.

Shi-Jai, who hails from Myanmar's Mon State, says she earns about $10 a day at a port in Thailand's insurgency-hit south.

"It is not too much, but it is higher than I can earn at home," she says as a stern-faced supervisor prowls along the line of women -- and a handful of children -- sorting through the morning catch.

The workers live in scruffy dormitory blocks close to the port in Pattani in Thailand's deep south, where a near decade-long rebellion led by Muslim militants has claimed more than 5,700 lives.

Thailand is the world's third largest fish exporter by value, with sales worth around $7 billion a year.

But it is under international pressure to respond to reports of fishermen forced to work as virtual slaves under brutal conditions.

Earlier this month the International Labour Organisation (ILO) warned of "serious abuses" in the fishing industry such as forced labour and violence.

Ten percent of respondents to an ILO survey reported being severely beaten on board boats, while more than a quarter said they worked or were on call between 17 and 24 hours a day.

About 17 percent of the mainly undocumented Myanmar and Cambodian fishermen surveyed by the ILO in Thailand were forced to work under threat of financial penalty, violence or denunciation to the authorities.

The European Union and United States, which are major markets for Thai seafood products, have vowed to jointly combat illegal and unregulated fishing.

Thailand sits near the bottom of an annual US people trafficking report and must improve its efforts on combating forced labour or face relegation next year -- which could trigger cuts in non-humanitarian and non-trade US aid.

But for many migrant workers, high unemployment in their native countries is the biggest worry.

"We can't find work in Cambodia so we have to come here," said 21-year-old fisherman Makaa, whose weather-beaten face gives him the appearance of a much older man.

"Some people have work permits, some don't... but we all need jobs," he said.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-09-25

Yea! and what thanks do they get? beaten, abused, and murdered.

Well done to them. Not that they get much reward though..

Thailand is the world's third largest fish exporter by value, with sales worth around $7 billion a year.....and yet they pay so little under conditions of slavery...well done guys, I am sure you have no problem facing yourself in the mirror each day. You parasites.

Thailand is the world's third largest fish exporter by value, with sales worth around $7 billion a year.....and yet they pay so little under conditions of slavery...well done guys, I am sure you have no problem facing yourself in the mirror each day. You parasites.

Slavery? I strongly doubt that they can't leave the boat when in the port.

Thailand is the world's third largest fish exporter by value, with sales worth around $7 billion a year.....and yet they pay so little under conditions of slavery...well done guys, I am sure you have no problem facing yourself in the mirror each day. You parasites.

Slavery? I strongly doubt that they can't leave the boat when in the port.

Really? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12881982

I thought it was illegal in most western countries to import from companys who used child labour?

The best way to address this is find out all the big western companys who are buying this seafood, and expose them. That usually sorts out the problem with mass cancellation of future orders unless these parasites improve working conditions, pay a fair wage so that children can be looked after instead of pushed out to work at an age when they should be developing.

Any decent investigative reporters out there looking for a scoop? Here it is.

Edited September 25, 201312 yr by klubex99

I thought it was illegal in most western countries to import from companys who used child labour?

The best way to address this is find out all the big western companys who are buying this seafood, and expose them. That usually sorts out the problem with mass cancellation of future orders unless these parasites improve working conditions, pay a fair wage so that children can be looked after instead of pushed out to work at an age when they should be developing.

Any decent investigative reporters out there looking for a scoop? Here it is.

There has been some reporting on Thai seafood processors and pressure brought to bear on Walmart in the US. The International Labor Rights Foundation (ILRF) has been instrumental in investigating this issue.

Not much different working minimum wage in european union or united states.And most of the money goes to retailing chains in eu and us. PARASITES???

Not much different working minimum wage in european union or united states.And most of the money goes to retailing chains in eu and us. PARASITES???

Lol... You don't really have a clue do you?

People are not working for 300 baht a day in the west, they have nice houses, cars, vacations, pensions and many things that Thais would consider luxury items. They have much better working conditions, and enforced laws to make sure workers are treated fairly and reasonably. They have health and safety, so minimum work related injuries, they first and foremost.... they don't have children working under slave conditions for peanuts.

Secondly, the big retail chains deserve their profits. They made the investment, they organize the business and provide stable livelihoods and they keep Thailand in an export business, probably unknowing that third world kids are being exploited.

I say bring it to their attention, and they will drop you like a bad habit in a heartbeat.

Edited September 25, 201312 yr by klubex99

Not much different working minimum wage in european union or united states.And most of the money goes to retailing chains in eu and us. PARASITES???

Lol... You don't really have a clue do you?

People are not working for 300 baht a day in the west, they have nice houses, cars, vacations, pensions and many things that Thais would consider luxury items. They have much better working conditions, and enforced laws to make sure workers are treated fairly and reasonably. They have health and safety, so minimum work related injuries, they first and foremost.... they don't have children working under slave conditions for peanuts.

Secondly, the big retail chains deserve their profits. They made the investment, they organize the business and provide stable livelihoods and they keep Thailand in an export business, probably unknowing that third world kids are being exploited.

I say bring it to their attention, and they will drop you like a bad habit in a heartbeat.

LOL...??

What country you come from?? Nice cars,vacations,houses and luxury???? Obviously you don't have to live with minimum salary,anywhere in western world!!

And people here don't deserve profits? Fishing boats just fall out of sky and business just happens?

Retail chains provide stable livelyhoods and unknowing about kids being exploited...Chains would kick you out in a heartbeat if it raises profit even 1 cent. Chains don't know about child labour...How old are you? 9-10 perhaps.

And yes,people don't work for 300 baht a day in west.In the west taxes and cost of living make it impossile!!!

Thank's for those pearls of wisdom! I really feel so much smarter now!