Introduction I. Preface Reyne Jude Dignes, a 26-year-old Filipino fisherman, is dressed in a white, short-sleeved T-shirt and dark jeans as he waits inside a modest grocery store operated by Filipino migrant workers. Situated near Yanpu Fishing Harbor in Pingtung, the establishment features an adjoining karaoke room, with leftover birthday balloons from a previous celebration hanging from the walls. Reyne sits on a sofa in the karaoke room and displays discomfort toward the NHRC’s research team presence. He shares that his current fishing vessel is moored at the port and is expected to depart for the sea again at the end of the month. Reyne: Soap doesn’t lather in seawater Reyne provides a brief account of his working background. He was employed in the Philippines as an electrical maintenance technician on construction sites before he entered the distant water fishing industry. Eventually, he switched careers and joined a Chinese fishing vessel. However, he never anticipated the isolation of life at sea. “This was during the COVID-19 pandemic—we stayed at sea for 18 months.” Reyne recalls transferring to a Taiwanese fishing vessel in 2021, initially traveling to Samoa in the South Pacific. Following a mechanical failure, he and fellow Filipino fishers moved to another ship to prepare for their upcoming journey to the Solomon Islands. Reyne explains that he acquired his fishing skills through the mentorship of seasoned colleagues. On the Taiwanese vessel with a crew of 13, including the captain, fishers wake up at 4 a.m. to start longline fishing. They begin by slowly lowering a 15-meter main line into the water. This operation spans approximately six hours, necessitating a rotation of 1