Politicians say they will help foreign fishers

Members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation said Wednesday that they are looking at ways to improve the safety and working conditions of hundreds of foreign workers that crew Hawaii fishing vessels following an Associated Press investigation that found instances of human trafficking, wages as low as 70 cents per hour and unsanitary boat conditions.

The fishermen, many of whom come from impoverished Southeast Asian and Pacific nations, can remain confined to the American boats for years at a time under conditions that would violate U.S. labor standards, the AP found. Fishermen, who bring in prized ahi and other fish to Hono­lulu’s piers, in some cases were found to be working 20-hour days, forced to use buckets instead of toilets and suffering from running sores from bedbugs.

“I’m alarmed and disturbed by the conditions reported by the Associated Press,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz said in a statement. “In addition to working on expeditiously and independently confirming the veracity of the reports, I have directed my staff to do a comprehensive review of what available tools the Coast Guard as well as the departments of Justice, Labor and Homeland Security have under current law to ensure the safety, human rights and dignity of these crewmen.”

Schatz said that he is working with the Obama administration to devise immediate protections for fishermen, while also researching legislative options to the problem.

U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard issued similar statements. However, staff from the offices of Schatz and Hirono refused to talk publicly about specific actions the senators are looking at taking, while Gabbard’s office didn’t respond to follow-up questions. More specific information is expected in the coming days.

Federal law requires U.S. citizens to comprise 75 percent of the crew on commercial fishing vessels. However, a loophole dating from the 1980s has allowed Hawaii’s longline commercial fishing industry to skirt this requirement. Vessels fishing for highly migratory species, such as those in the Hawaii longline industry, are excluded from the requirement.

While members of the congressional delegation may seek to close this loophole, there are other laws that are believed to be perpetuating poor labor conditions on Hawaii fishing boats that are also coming under scrutiny.

The reaction from Hawaii’s congressional delegation comes as Whole Foods has suspended buying fish at the Honolulu Fish Auction, and Hawaii’s local fishing industry is worried that other buyers will soon follow.

Jim Cook, who owns six longline fishing vessels, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that the fishing industry is already looking at self-policing strategies.

“If we have bad actors in the fleet, we are trying to weed them out,” he said.

The industry is currently looking to devise a universal crew contract that would include protections for foreign workers and could be in place by the end of the week, he said. If a vessel doesn’t use the contract, its owners could be banned from selling their fish at the fish auction. Cook said the industry may also employ a third-party auditor.

Cook, who employs foreign workers on five of his six fishing vessels, said that he doesn’t think the reported abuses are representative of the industry as a whole.

He said his foreign workers are paid on average about $1,500 a month, which includes catch bonuses, while his domestic workers earn about $25,000 a year.

He said that while public perception is that the industry is employing foreign workers because they are cheaper, that’s not the case. He said that the primary reason is that the foreign workers are highly trained professionals and that their earnings go much further in their home countries.

“I can’t say that there are not bad actors in this business or any other business, but certainly it’s not representative of the bulk of the people in the industry,” said Cook.

Hirono said she was “deeply disturbed” by the situation.

“It is completely unacceptable that the inhumane treatment of any workers — foreign or not — is legal under U.S. federal law. I am engaging the full range of stakeholders, including federal agencies and the industry, to determine the extent of the problem and the appropriate course of action to address it,” she said in a statement. “I welcome the industry’s initial steps to respond to this unacceptable situation, and am encouraged they are taking this seriously.”

While the AP investigation is attracting attention from high-level government officials, it’s not the first report to surface about troubling labor conditions on Hawaii fishing boats. An investigation by KHON News in 2013 also uncovered allegations of slavelike working conditions.

Gabbard said that it’s a “problem that has been ignored for years and must be immediately addressed.”

“We are working with major stakeholders to determine the most expedient course of action to put an end to this unacceptable situation, and protect the safety and human rights of these crewmen, making sure that fair labor standards are enforced for all workers,” she said in a statement.