from redirecting crew members to illegal land-based employers. 2. Defining fee guidelines to prevent improper charges: Agencies are prohibited from charging crew service fees, inventing unjustified fees, or pre-deducting wages. Service contracts must detail allowable fees and their amounts. Ongoing negotiations with source countries aim to establish clear fee structures and standards for pre-departure expenses charged by local agencies. This is intended to reduce excessive fees and alleviate the debt bondage of crew members. (4) Enhance monitoring and management capabilities 1. Increase inspection capacity The Fisheries Agency has recruited 60 additional labor inspectors who began inspections in late September 2022. The goal is to audit 50% of distant water fishing vessels annually, including document checks on operators and intermediary offices. Inspectors are also dispatched abroad for inspections of foreign fishing vessels. However, due to lower frequency compared to domestic inspections, a third-party organization (SGS) was commissioned in 2023 to verify labor conditions abroad. In 2023, 4,989 interviews with foreign crew members on Taiwanese distant water fishing vessels were conducted, including 2,832 interviews during domestic inspections, 920 interviews at foreign ports, and 1,237 phone interviews. Additionally, 676 inspections of distant water fishing vessels were conducted (including 36 inspections on the high seas), with issues clarified for 600 vessels (423 at domestic ports and 177 at foreign ports). Inspections were also conducted at 299 operator offices and 55 intermediary agencies in 2023. 2. Combating human trafficking In 2022, the MOI implemented a cross-agency mechanism for combating maritime human trafficking, improving the identification and protection of victims, establishing interagency collaboration protocols, and creating an “Inspection Checklist for Suspected Labor Exploitation of Foreign Crew Members.” 100