First fishing boat detained under new UN labor rules

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The first fishing boat was detained under new UN labor rules which came into force last year with the aim of protecting workers in the hazardous industry, the UN's labor organization announced on Tuesday.

The boat was detained in Cape Town, South Africa, in May after the crew complained about the working conditions to local inspectors, the International Labor Organization (ILO) said.

ILO spokesman Hans Von Rohland said "the ship was from Taiwan" and its owner was based there.

Four Vietnamese fishermen jumped from Taiwanese longliner, Hsieh Ta, off Papeete to swim to shore, August 8, 2013. It appears that they found life aboard the fishing vessel too hard. /VCG Photo

"The inspectors found a long list of problems, including a "lack of documentation, poor accommodation, insufficient food for fishers, and poor safety and health conditions on board", the ILO said in a statement.

The crew told the inspectors that they wanted off the boat, saying they had to manually pull in caught fish and carry heavy loads to a storage facility.

The vessel, which had been deemed unseaworthy, was released in June after being repaired.

The Work in Fishing Convention aims to ensure adequate and safe conditions for the estimated 38 million workers in the fisheries industry, which has been plagued by exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.

The convention was adopted in 2007 but only came into effect in November last year.

(Cover: Fishing boats are moored inside a harbor in Yilan county, Taiwan, September 17, 2016. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP