After a lengthy investigation, the Associated Press last month exposed abusive and near slave-labor conditions aboard many of the ships in Hawaii’s fishing fleet.
It was discovered that some boat owners hire unskilled fishermen from the Third World, pay them nominal wages, subject them to inhumane working conditions and then prohibit them from going ashore when the boats are docked in Hawaii.
“Americans buying Hawaiian seafood are almost certainly eating fish caught by one of these workers, who account for nearly all the fleet’s crew,” the AP reported (“Floating Prisons,” Star-Advertiser, Sept. 8).
We, along with others around the state, petitioned the state Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to amend its rules for commercial fishing licenses to include information regarding whether the licensee has landing privileges in Hawaii, and if the licensee does not read English, to provide the name and contact information of the person who translated the licensee terms and conditions for the licensee.
Last week, Bruce Anderson, administrator of the Division of Aquatic Resources of the state DLNR, recommended that the petition be denied.
The petition is scheduled to be heard by the DLNR’s Board of Land and Natural Resources at 9 a.m. Friday, at the Kalanimoku Building, 1151 Punchbowl St.
Politicians and other public officials assured the public they would do everything in their power to protect the human rights of these exploited fishermen.
DLNR Chairwoman Suzanne Case stated: “While our jurisdiction only extends to the protection of natural resources, we are certainly very concerned about any human rights violations that are reportedly occurring on the longline fishing fleet, and stand ready to assist in any way possible.”
Yet Case co-signed Anderson’s letter recommending no change to the rules.
Anderson’s letter, posted on the state Board of Land and Natural Resources (BLNR) website along with the agenda for Friday’s meeting (see 808ne.ws/2edMpFG), would perpetuate current conditions that have created Hawaii’s “floating prisons.”
The letter curiously states that the rule change “is unnecessary because the applicant would be required to comply with all terms and conditions of a commercial marine license.”
Without rule changes requiring assistance by an interpreter, the applicant likely could not read what he was asked to sign by a ship owner, and so expecting compliance is absurd.
In the absence of an update to the rules, Whole Foods and others who are currently boycotting Hawaii seafood can be expected to continue doing so.
The recommendation to do nothing can only hurt the reputation of Hawaii’s seafood industry.
It appears that the DLNR is ready to “assist in any way possible” except to actually assist in any way to ensure that Hawaii’s commercial marine licensing system is not aiding and abetting slaving operations in our state.
We urge people to come and testify before the BLNR and demand that the land department “assist in every way possible” to ensure transparency and fairness in our commercial marine license system.
