Face Up to the Issue of Fishermen’s Human Rights Commissioner Chi Hui-jung, NHRC In 2019, I attended a global conference on human trafficking organized by the Holy See at Vatican City. When a priest from Cape Town, South Africa, publicly accused Taiwan of abusing fishermen, I felt so ashamed that I wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. The priest presented a myriad of evidence including photos of abused fishermen, bodies covered with injuries and strangulation marks around the neck, dilapidated ships and bunks, and salary slips for less than US$200 a month after excessive deductions. These so-called Taiwanese distant water “Flag of Convenience” fishing vessels may have dodged Taiwanese laws but they cannot escape international condemnation. In 2020, The Coalition for Human Rights for Migrant Fishers in Taiwan published a report that found 92% of foreign fishermen in Taiwan have had their wages deducted, 24% had been subjected to physical violence (typically kicking and beatings), 82% had worked excessive hours, and frequently worked for up to 20 hours at a stretch with almost no time to rest. In Preface 008