Marina, Plan Int’l ink pact vs forced labor of fish workers

By Raffy Ayeng, 18 Dec 2019

TO strengthen collaborative efforts on combating forced labor and exploitation of fish workers, the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and child-focused development and humanitarian organization Plan International Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on it on December 11.

Marina OIC-Administrator Vice-Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr. and Plan International Philippines Country Director Dennis O’Brien led the signing, wherein both agencies shall work together to increase protection of and prevent fish workers from being exploited.

Under the MoU, both organizations are mandated to advocate and promote awareness about forced labor/trafficking of persons for labor exploitation, and promoting Marina’s recently approved Philippine Fishing Vessels Safety Rules and Regulations.

“As we advance our standards for our fishing vessels, we also address the issues from the individuals involved in the sector. Safety is our primary business; it’s not negotiable. With this Agreement, Marina will actively participate in the SAFE Seas project and we will engage our regional offices and local government units in our advocacy toward the prevention of trafficking and exploitation among our fishers,” said Vingson.

For its part, the Plan International Philippines will be supporting Marina’s programs through its Safeguarding Against and Addressing Fishers’ Exploitation at Sea (SAFE Seas) project.

SAFE Seas is a four-year project funded by the US Department of Labor (USDoL) aimed at addressing human trafficking and labor exploitation on fishing vessels. The project has already been working with the Philippine government mainly through the Department of Justice — Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (DoJ-Iacat) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE).

“We would like to thank Marina for the opportunity to partner with Plan International and its willingness to work together for the protection of fish workers. This partnership is a positive development toward building a solid relationship with relevant government agencies [that] are actively engaged in the fishing industry,” said O’Brien.