Fisheries Agency to boost labor inspectionsBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterInspections would be increased to curb human trafficking and forced labor at sea, the Fisheries Agency said on Thursday in response to calls to end to labor exploitation in the distant-water fisheries industry. The Executive Yuan should promptly put forward a draft directive on corporate sustainability due diligence that includes high-risk industries such as distant-water fisheries to translate human rights compliance into international trade competitiveness, thereby ensuring the annual NT$40 billion (US$1.25 billion) output from distant-water fisheries exports, Kuo said. She cited Sari Heidenreich, a Greenpeace senior human rights adviser based in Washington, as saying that systemic deficiencies exist in Taiwan’s policies and law enforcement regarding distant-water fisheries. The Fisheries Agency said that the Da Wang in 2022 was dismantled in Busan, South Korea. The agency has been promoting a fisheries and human rights action plan since 2022 to enhance labor rights at sea, including improving labor checks and setting explicit limits on flag of convenience fishing vessels funded or operated by Taiwanese.

Source: Taipei Times April 03, 2026 17:16 UTC