New Podcast Episode! Organizing and Campaigning to Improve the Conditions of Indonesian Fishers on the Distant-Water Fleet
In Episode 4, Season 2 of the Labor Link podcast, Judy Gearhart speaks to Hariyanto Suwarno of the Indonesian Migrant Workers’ Union, known as SBMI for its acronym in Bahasa, and Charli Fritzner of Greenpeace USA.
“Now after [migrant fishers] got knowledge from SBMI, they know their rights. And they have the bravery to ask for their rights on the ship. That's something that we are really proud of.” (Hariyanto Suwarno)
“Our [Beyond Seafood] fisheries project …takes the elements of environmental harms and human harms as one.” (Charli Fritzner)
In this interview, Hariyanto tells the story of how SBMI, Indonesia’s largest and oldest migrant worker union – Serikat Buru Migran Indonesia – came to work on fishers’ rights. He explains how in 2014 they responded to migrant fishers stranded in South Africa who had been jailed for their forced participation in illegal fishing. Many of those migrant fishers are still active SBMI members, helping to push the Indonesian government to create more comprehensive and better coordinated protections for migrant fishers.
Charli Fritzner from Greenpeace-US joins the conversation to describe their work with SBMI to promote Before You Eat, a film co-produced by SBMI and Greenpeace-Indonesia. The film shows migrant fishers’ struggles and desperation on the distant water fleet and the challenges they face to secure compensation when they return home.
Charli outlinesGreenpeace’s campaigns for seafood brands to phase out transshipment and implement real human rights due diligence, and to increase retailer transparency in tuna supply chains. She also shares her enthusiasm for Greenpeace’s strategy to integrate social and environmental issues in their ocean campaigns.
Photo credit: Tommy Trenchard, Greenpeace
Before You Eat Film access: https://beforeyoueat.id/en-us
The Labor Link Podcast
Labor Link is an initiative of the Accountability Research Center at the School of International Service, American University.
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