Benoa, October 1, 2025 — Working conditions for fishing vessel crew members in Indonesia showing critical vulnerability. Various issues continue to affect them, including recruitment processes, employment status, wages, working hours, occupational safety and health (OSH), and even indications of forced labor. In several cases, forced labor has emerged due to weak governance in the recruitment of labor within the fisheries sector.
According to data collected by Destructive Fishing Watch (DFW) Indonesia through the National Fishers Center (NFC) Indonesia, a total of 19 complaints involving 66 victims were recorded in 2025. Of these, 73.7% involved domestic fishing crew members, with the reported perpetrators being labor placement agencies.
In response to this situation, DFW Indonesia supported by Yayasan International Pole and Line Foundation (IPNLF) Indonesia held a forum “Institutional Strengthening of Private Recruitment Agencies in the Fisheries Sector” in Benoa, Bali. This initiative is part of efforts to improve the governance of labor recruitment in Indonesia’s fisheries sector, particularly to ensure protection for domestic fishing crews. This momentum is especially relevant following a recent case of human trafficking (TIP) in Bali a few months ago, involving an irresponsible recruiter. In that case, 21 fishing crew members were allegedly exploited after being promised high-paying jobs, only to be forced to work under poor conditions without legal protection.
The meeting featured Mijil Ritno Sujiwo, Head of the Fisheries Vessel Manning Team at the Directorate of Fishing Vessels and Fishing Gear, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Anna Kurnianingsih, Coordinator for Institutional Development of Labor Placement at the Ministry of Manpower as the speakers. Other stakeholders also participated, including the Bali Provincial Department of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, members of the Regional Forum for the Protection of Fishery Workers and Fishermen (or known as Forda P3N Bali), and recruitment agencies in Bali.
Imam Trihatmadja, Program Director of DFW Indonesia, emphasized the importance of responsible recruitment governance. He noted that recruitment is a crucial element in capturing fisheries due to the need for specialized skills to help minimize the risk of workplace accidents in challenging working conditions. “The governance of private recruitment agencies must be a key focus to prevent future problems,” he said.
During the event, Mijil explained that the Directorate of Fishing Vessels and Fishing Gear has already implemented four international governance pillars for fishing crew members, including: CTA 2012, STCW-F 1995, ratified by Presidential Regulation No. 18 of 2019, ILO Convention C-188, and PSMA, ratified by Presidential Regulation No. 43 of 2016. “Although CTA 2012 and ILO C-188 have not yet been ratified in Indonesia, we have started adopting several provisions from these conventions in practice as part of our commitment to enhancing protection for Indonesian fishing crews,” he explained.
The recruitment process for fishing vessel crews still involves informal recruiters who are unregistered as a recruiting agent, posting vague job listings on social media. The Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, therefore pushing for a reform to transition these informal recruiters into legal recruitment institutions, free from any recruitment fees. Legal and official recruitment will also support the protection and fulfillment of workers’ rights.
To ensure that the recruitment process is legal and official, recruiters must understand the institutional licensing mechanisms for worker placement agencies. Anna explained that individuals who want to establish a private employment agency can follow the requirements listed under Indonesian Standard Classification of Business Fields (or known as KBLI) 78101. “This group covers activities related to registration, selection, and placement of workers within the country across various business sectors, based on employment agreements and interregional/local job placement mechanisms by private employment agencies,” she said.
Meanwhile, Dwi Agus Siswa Putra, Secretary General of the Indonesian Seafarers and Fishery Workers Union (or known as KP3I), added that business actors must improve themselves and collaborate with the government and fishery workers to prevent future cases that could harm the fishing industry in Benoa.
“Actually, fisheries businesses in Bali have already implemented good recruitment practices. However, high-level management systems for direct worker monitoring in the field may still be lacking. Hopefully, with this event, top-level management will be more hands-on in overseeing the recruitment process,” Dwi emphasized.
DFW Indonesia reaffirmed its commitment to continuously push for the reform of a fair, safe, and sustainable labor recruitment system in the fisheries sector through multi-stakeholder collaboration. This initiative is part of initiation for action plan implementation by Regional Forum for the Protection of Fishery Workers and Fishermen Bali, which is expected to be the starting point for consolidating and transforming the governance of labor recruitment in Indonesia’s fisheries sector.
One Response
This initiative to clean up fisherman recruitment in Bali is timely, if not fishy! Kidding aside, its high time these informal recruiters got a hook and were brought into the legal net. Who wants to risk human trafficking just to catch some fish? Ensuring crew safety and fair wages seems like common sense, though maybe the high-level management should get a life and actually *do* some overseeing instead of just issuing regulations. Lets hope this push leads to better governance without all the red tape making the process harder than finding a decent spot in Benoa港. Heres to fewer exploited crews and more responsible recruiters – catch of the day! 🎣