EU debates harsh working conditions for fishers: ‘I had no other choice’
Indonesian sailor Fredi Seprizal endured what he called “modern slavery” during 16 months on board a Chinese fishing vessel, working up to 20 hours a day and sometimes 24 hours straight. His testimony was central to a debate on boosting the social dimension of sustainable fisheries held in the European Parliament on 30 September. Seprizal described drinking filtered seawater and fearing for his life due to inadequate safety equipment. Organised by Carmen Crespo, chair of the Committee on Fisheries, and co-organised by Virginia Battu-Henriksson of the cabinet of Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis, the meeting brought together survivors of labour exploitation, international organisations, trade unions, and fisheries sector representatives. The aim was to examine working conditions and the fight against forced labour, with calls for stronger guarantees for industry workers.
Testimony of exploitation
Seprizal told participants that rest periods ranged from three to six hours, and that the captain withheld his documents, preventing escape. “The thought of jumping off the ship or setting it on fire crossed my mind; but I could not escape because the captain kept hold of my documents. I even had to pay to get them back,” he said. He also noted that the food was in very poor condition and that he had no choice but to drink filtered seawater that was never properly clean.
Research and calls for action
A study by Sallie Yea of Charles Sturt University, based on interviews with 121 fishers and 32 family members from the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Fiji, found that 94% of fishers suffered non-payment of wages at some point. All fishers had contracts changed to less favourable conditions, and one in four witnessed the death of a fellow crew member. Yea stressed the need to move from formal compliance to effective protection of labour rights, including checks on contracts, arbitration mechanisms, and accountability for recruitment agencies.
Industry and institutional responses
Representatives from the International Labour Organization, the European Transport Workers’ Federation, the Environmental Justice Foundation, and Oxfam called for stricter enforcement of labour standards. The ILO’s Work in Fishing Convention, which sets minimum requirements for work on board, has been ratified by only 27 member states. The EU regulation on forced labour is to be phased in until December 2027. Julio Morón of OPAGAC, which promoted the meeting, expressed hope that EU rules on due diligence and forced labour can become a turning point, ensuring European consumers do not eat fish caught using forced labour.
