Bangkok, Thailand – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) and Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) brought together 18 civil society organizations from nine countries across Southeast Asia to formulate a joint regional response aimed at preventing labour exploitation and enhancing protection for migrant workers employed in the fishing sector. 

This workshop comes at a crucial time, building on the publication of the ASEAN Guidelines on the Placement and Protection of Migrant Fishers on 14 October 2024. The guidelines, endorsed by ASEAN Member States, mark a significant milestone in the region’s commitment to improving the lives and working conditions of migrant workers, whose essential contributions to the global fishing industry have often come at the cost of their basic human rights and dignity. 

As one of the largest and fastest growing sectors in Southeast Asia, the fishing and seafood processing sector has remained heavily reliant on migrant workers. Southeast Asia plays a pivotal role in global fish production, contributing 20 per cent (USD 50 billion) of the world’s fish supply and employing millions of migrant fishers. It is also one of the largest origin regions for migrant fishers employed within the fishing industries of East Asian economies. 

Despite the vital contributions of migrants to the sector, they are prone to labour exploitations, including harsh working conditions, low wages, high recruitment fees and limited access to legal and social protection.  While significant progress has been made in strengthening regulatory frameworks and labour protections in the region, much more remains to be done as migrant fishers - whether working domestically or abroad - are among the most vulnerable to l human rights violation.  

“Investigations conducted by EJF across the region have found fishers can experience unsafe working environments and deceptive recruitment practices,” said Dominic Thomson, Regional Director and Program Manager for Southeast Asia at EJF, reminding the plight of migrant fishers. “Fishers often find themselves trapped in cycles of abuse, forced labour, and human trafficking. These challenges demand a multi-faceted and collaborative response that spans borders.” 

"This workshop is a critical step towards strengthening collective response for unified action to protect the rights of migrant fishers and tackling the urgent issue of labour exploitation in the fishing industry," echoed Géraldine Ansart, Chief of Mission at IOM Thailand. "But our work does not end here. We need to continue supporting ASEAN in implementing the guidelines across the region, promoting ethical recruitment and ensuring migrants access to protection services and remedy.” 

In commemoration of International Migrants Day (18 December), IOM, EJF, HRWG, together with civil society partners, urged ASEAN Member States to fully implement the ASEAN Guidelines at the national level. This includes ensuring that migrant fishers are recognized as workers with the same rights as workers on land, regardless of their migratory status, and are afforded accessible and equitable protection services throughout their migration journey. 

“The question to all of us now is, how are we going to implement this guideline into reality so that migrant fishers and their families can see changes?” echoed Daniel Awigra, Director of HRWG. “Multilateral cooperation within and beyond ASEAN is crucial to ensure that the implementation of this guideline prioritizes a participatory and rights-based approach, focusing on prevention, protection and remedy of all forms of rights violation, while responding to the root causes of violations in the fisheries sector.” 

The civil society members committed to supporting the ASEAN Member States to implement the ASEAN guideline at regional and national levels with the aim of ensuring decent working and living conditions, fair recruitment practices, access to justice, and enhancing accessibility of safe and regular migration pathways for migrant fishers. 

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This initiative was made possible with financial support from the U.S. Department of Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration through IOM’s Asia Regional Migration Program. 

For further information, please contact: 

• IOM Thailand: Among Resi at aresi@iom.int 

• HRWG: Daniel Awigra at awigra@gmail.com  

• EJF: Nattawut Kasem at nattawut.kasem@ejfoundation.org 

• IOJI (Indonesia): Jeremia Humolong Prasetya at jeremiahp@oceanjusticeinitiative.org  

• Associated Philippine Seafarers Union: at psumla@info.com.ph 

• Stella Maris Manila, Philippines: aosmanila.ph@gmail.com   

• LSCW (Cambodia): sokchar_mom@lscw.org  

• Migrant Working Group (MWG) Thailand: contact@mwgthailand.org  

• Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia (SBMI): sekretariat@sbmi.or.id 

Access the outcome document