Indonesian fishers are still vulnerable to exploitation

JAKARTA (Joint Press Release) - The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) presented the key findings of a survey on decent work in the marine fishing sector in Jakarta on 11 March 2025. The survey aimed to measure working conditions on marine fishing vessels, including key indicators of decent work such as recruitment patterns, employment status, employment agreements, earnings, working time, occupational safety and health (OSH), social security, freedom of association and the prevalence of child labour and forced labour.

Conducted over one year, from November 2023 to September 2024, the survey covered 3,396 fishers in 18 ports, representing four types of ports, namely Sea Fisheries Ports (PPS), Nusantara Shipping Port (PPN), Coastal Waters Ports (PPP) and Fish Landing Bases (PPI). The survey was enriched by qualitative research including focus group discussions, key informant interviews and stakeholder consultation workshops. The survey focuses on labour-related issues for Indonesian fishers working onboard Indonesian fishing vessels.

This survey represents ILO's support in establishing safe and decent working conditions that align with fundamental principles and rights at work. This not only enhances workers' productivity and welfare but also offers protection against forced labour and trafficking at sea.

Simrin Singh, ILO Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste 

The survey strengthens evidence of decent work deficits in the marine fisheries sector. It supports the ILO's global mission to eliminate forced labour through its 8.7 Accelerator Lab Programme and aligns with the efforts of the Blue Fairness Initiative, an ILO’s partner.  

The survey highlighted nine key findings related to fundamental principles and rights at work.

Recruitment and migration: Over half of fishers’ reported recruitment processes that deviated from standards set in national laws and international labour standards, particularly the ILO Convention, 2007 (No. 188) on Work in Fishing. This increases the risk of debt bondage, making fishers vulnerable to forced labour and human trafficking.

Employment contract: More than 90 per cent of fishers lack a written work contract. Limited literacy and understanding of contract-related issues leave most fishers unaware of their rights and obligations, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

Working time: 16 per cent of workers reported working for more than 14 hours per day in a given week. Irregular work-rest patterns in fishing make distinguishing between working hours and rest difficult, posing challenges in enforcing standardized labour regulations.

Methods of payment: Fishers are compensated through remuneration systems that enable employers to share the business risk with their employees while incentivizing productivity. Catch-sharing is used to pay two-thirds of fishers, and nearly all fishers employed on small vessels. Only 4.5 per cent of fishers in the 18 surveyed ports are compensated with regular wages or a combination of regular wages and alternative payment methods.

Social protection: 71 per cent of fishers are not enrolled in employment-related social security (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan) and over half fishers are not benefitting from health social security (BPJS Kesehatan).

Safety on board: Fishers encounter a range of occupational hazards. The survey most reported hazardous conditions related to weather events, PPE and safety-related risks, risks associated with the technical conditions of the vessels, and lack of safety measures related to toilets. Other risk factors include extreme fatigue and interpersonal conflicts among fishers on the vessel.

Freedom of association and collective bargaining: The survey reveals a union membership rate among fishers, averaging 10 per cent. 

Work to be abolished: Indonesia has made significant progress toward eliminating child labour and addressing severe working conditions in the fishing sector. According to Indonesian law, persons under 18 years are prohibited from working in this industry due to determined risks to their physical and psychological development. However, the survey revealed that approximately 0.7 per cent of interviewed fishers reported they were under the age of 18, primarily boys aged 15–17 working in small and medium-sized ports.

The survey also revealed that 1.5 per cent of fisher employees were working under conditions that included in some instances the withholding of identification documents or seaman's books, threats of dismissal, wage deductions, and a few cases of reported physical violence. These fishers reported facing hazardous working environments that put their safety and health at risk, working excessive hours. 

Based on these key findings, the survey highlighted ten priority actions to achieve optimal protection for fishers and simultaneously increase worker productivity in the marine fishing sector:

1. Aligning national laws with international labour standards of relevance to the sector. 
2. Enforcing fair recruitment standards as regulated in national laws and in alignment with international standards. 
3. Addressing the high level of informality in the sector, promoting and mandating that all fishers have fishers’ work agreement. 
4. Investing in workers skills development and technology mastery for fishers
5. Strengthening fishers’ literacy and awareness of social protection and simplify the registration process by reducing administrative barriers to make registration easier for workers, especially those working in the informal sector. 
6. Enhancing and supervising the implementation of occupational safety and health (OSH) on board fishing vessels, with progressive improvements to vessel features. 
7. Increasing efforts to overcome barriers to greater unionization in the sector resulting in access to grievance handling mechanisms, collective bargaining platforms and agreements.
8. Advancing fundamental principles and rights at work, with particular urgency to eradicate the most egregious forms. 
9. Establishing trade agreements to expand access to export markets, enabling businesses to provide more stable employment while promoting due diligence practices and alignment with decent work standards. 
10. Strengthening regular data collection and sharing across agencies to improve surveillance, support evidence-based policymaking and strengthen protections for fishing vessel workers.

Simrin Singh, ILO Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, said that reliable data, such as the results of this survey, are key in addressing forced labour in the fisheries sector and in designing efficient policies and interventions to ensure decent working conditions for fishing vessel workers. "As a maritime nation, Indonesia considers the fisheries sector to be one of its key industries. This survey represents ILO's support in establishing safe and decent working conditions that align with fundamental principles and rights at work. This not only enhances workers' productivity and welfare but also offers protection against forced labour and trafficking at sea," she stated.

Nawawi, the Head of the Population Research Centre, highlighted the significance of the survey results for guiding the Indonesian government in shaping policies aimed at promoting decent work within the marine capture fisheries sector. “The findings of this survey offer exceptionally valuable and comprehensive data that can serve as a crucial reference for enhancing future governance and improving conditions for workers in the marine fishing sector.”

For more information, please contact:
Gita Lingga         
ILO Senior Information and Communications Management Assistant
[email protected]