Working at Sea: Indonesian Migrant Fish Workers in the “Latin American South Atlantic”

• In Event: Migration in the Americas

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a field investigation into the experiences of migrant fish workers recruited from Indonesia for work in global fishing. Workers for the global fishing industry are mainly sourced from Indonesia and the Philippines. Scholars and activists have increasingly paid attention to the working conditions experienced by Indonesian migrant fish workers on Asian fishing ships. But the experiences of Indonesian fish workers on European fishing vessels that operate in the “Latin American South Atlantic” and frequently go to the Port of Montevideo are still understudied. These workers are recruited through a complex web of domestic and foreign crewing agencies. At the Port of Montevideo, these workers have access to support organizations that can help them to navigate the difficulties they might face at their workplace. I describe the work experiences of Indonesian migrant fish workers on (mainly) Spain-flagged fishing vessels that operate in FAO fishing area number 41 as told by workers. I also outline the role of Indonesian crewing agencies in producing migrant workers for export and detail the work of support organizations at the Port of Montevideo. The key findings include first, that workers have a positive assessment of the working conditions on Spanish fishing ships; second, that Indonesian migrant fish workers have the potential to strengthen their awareness of their labour rights in the recruitment process; and third, that workers attempt to decrease their vulnerability while overseas by approaching support organizations in the port of Montevideo.

Author

• Wendy Alejandra Medina de Loera, York University