Pacific Fisheries Abuses: Testimony of Fijian Fishing Widows, Mother and Sister
24th July 2019
“He was stabbed with a knife below his heart by a Chinese crewman.”
London. UK. In partnership with Fijian-based NGO, Pacific Dialogue, Human Rights at Sea publishes the fifth case study in the current series exposing the consequences and challenges for families of seafarers who have suffered and died as a result of human and labour rights abuses onboard Fijian-crewed fishing vessels.
Human Rights at Sea and Pacific Dialogue expose the first-hand testimony of the widows and families of Fijian crewmen who died after many years operating as crew on longline fishing vessels operating out of Fiji. The latest case study highlights the conditions and challenges faced by seafarers’ family members left behind after the loss of their menfolk as breadwinners.
The study is aimed at exposing and educating those who do not understand the background to, and the context of, commercial fishing in the Pacific region with a view to positively influencing regional legislative change for better working conditions, human rights protection, and increased local government and commercial family support for those left behind.
“When her husband died, Susanna got no compensation, nor funeral or other expenses; the company didn’t even pay his last salary.”
Download the fifth case study in the present series covering the effects of labour and human rights abuses for Fijian fishermen and their families, including failures to address impunity, and provide support to widows and their families.
