fair? If you don’t believe it is fair, then we need to consider how to
help crew members feel that they can relieve stress while working
hard at sea, such as exchanging a few words with their family or
seeing family over video. Don’t you agree?”21
Chen Wen-sheng manages the Man Fu Tsai fishing fleet, which is
comprised of five vessels. Among these vessels, the Man Fu Tsai No. 168
and Man Fu Tsai No. 11 are outfitted with very-small-aperture terminals
(VSAT), incurring a monthly rental cost of US$1,950 (NT$64,000). In
addition to providing crew members with a mobile phone for 20 minutes
of calls each month, he permits them to access the internet without data
restrictions during their downtime. Although the internet service is limited
to basic text messaging, crew members are still quite pleased. Upon
reviewing the expenses, Chen discovered that even without Wi-Fi, the
captain, chief engineer, and crew still rely on satellite phones, leading to
total costs nearing NT$100,000. Thus, the cost of Wi-Fi does not exceed
satellite phones.
He also listed some unexpected benefits of installing Wi-Fi: For
example, if a machine malfunctions during the voyage, the crew can use
video calls to ask maintenance personnel for assistance. Suppose a crew
member’s family overseas receives a remittance and has doubts. They can
solve the issue immediately, confirming whether the salary was underpaid
or if there was an issue with currency conversion. Furthermore, if only his
vessel offered unlimited internet access, while the other vessels did not, it
could attract high-quality crew members to join the Man Fu Tsai fishing
fleet.
“If I had to choose between installing CCTV or Wi-Fi, I would pick
Wi-Fi. It benefits the vessel owner, captain, and crew.” In contrast to
emphasizing the importance of Wi-Fi, Chen believes CCTV is not a
NHRC (March 17, 2023). “Interview Record with Man Fu Tsai Fishing Vessel Owner Chen
Wen-sheng.”
21
26