Under the shadow: Forced labour among sea fishers in Thailand

摘要

Thailand's fishing industry relies almost exclusively on migrant workers to fill its hazardous, low-paying jobs. Recently, the industry has come under increased scrutiny due to the prevalence of forced labour and illegal fishing practices. This paper discusses the findings of a large-scale survey (n=596) undertaken with fishers - Thai, Cambodian and Myanmar - in four coastal provinces in Thailand. The majority of fishers worked on short-haul vessels in the wild-capture sector. Using the indicators developed by the International Labour Organizations Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour, 16.9% (n=101) of respondents identified as being victims of forced labour for human trafficking. The survey results give important insight into the existence of deceptive and coercive recruitment practices, exploitative working conditions, and forced labour in the fishing industry. A concerted approach by governments and buyers is needed to eliminate forced labour practices. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.