workshops focused on the rights of migrant fishers.
The Distance Between Online and Offline
The Action Plan includes a provision to encourage the installation of
Wi-Fi on distant water fishing vessels in order to allow crew members to
connect with family and friends during their breaks. This provision sets
incentives such as increase of number of days at sea or more lenient fish
quotas for vessel owners who increase access to Wi-Fi for fishers. The
implementation of this action plan has ushered advocacy for migrant
fishers’ rights into a new phase. In November 2022, Global Labor Justice
(GLJ) representatives paid a visit to Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency
emphasizing that access to Wi-Fi is crucial in alleviating the intense stress
experienced by fishers due to long hours at sea working under harsh
conditions. The Fisheries Agency responded by pledging to fund up to
NT$300,000 per vessel for equipment costs and NT$8,000 per month for
communication fees. The plan includes subsidizing equipment on 60
vessels and communications fees on 110 vessels over four years. 1
However, the agency also cautioned fishers about the potential impact of
reduced rest periods due to online activity, which could jeopardize safety
during maritime operations.2
The push for Wi-Fi access on fishing vessels caught the attention of
the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which funded an NT$800,000
research project at the National Taiwan Ocean University in May 2022.
In December 2022, the Fisheries Agency established the “Guidance Measures for Oceangoing Fishing Vessel owners to Provide Non-Taiwanese Crew with Wireless Internet Access.”
This initiative offers up to NT$300,000 in subsidies for Wi-Fi equipment installation, with
communication costs covered for up to 12 months, capped at NT$8,000 per month. Operators
receiving these subsidies must allow migrant fishers to access the internet at least once a week
for a minimum of five minutes each time.
2
Fisheries Agency (November 28, 2022). “Discussions with Indonesian Crew Members and
International Human Rights Organizations on Promoting the Fishing Vessel Wi-Fi Policy.”
Source: https://www.fa.gov.tw/view.php?theme=Press_release&subtheme=&id=1872
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