Indonesia, South Korea Agree to Protect Fishing Vessel Crews

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia and South Korea agreed to enhance the protection of the Indonesian fishing ship’s crew (AKPI) who work on Korean coastal fishing vessels following the signing of a pact between both officials, Monday, May 31.

During a virtual ceremony, signing on behalf of Indonesia was Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah, while South Korea was signed by its Ocean and Fisheries Minister Seong-Hyeok Moon.

“On behalf of the Indonesian government, we express our most appreciation to the Korean government for the good bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of manpower,” Ida said.

Also read: Foreign Ministry Repatriates Five Indonesian Crew Members, One Body Stranded Abroad

There is an urgent need for the memorandum of understanding (MoU) given the vulnerability of the Indonesian crew members employed by fishing vessels, she added. Moreover, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused another issue that added to the existing problems faced by Indonesian migrant workers, particularly the crew members.

Ida went on to explain that bilateral cooperation is necessary to control the mechanism of migrant worker placement and improving the protection of employees’ and employers’ rights.

“Therefore, intensive and effective coordination and cooperation between the two governments are needed to discuss the issues of manpower and protection of Indonesian crew members and employers in Korea.”

Also read: Government Raises Concern over Plight of Indonesian Fishing Crew

South Korea is one of the most attractive countries for Indonesian migrant workers. According to data provided by Korean immigration, 5,343 Indonesian crew members worked for Korean fishing vessels above 20 tons as of April 30, 2020.

Ida hoped that the signing of the MoU could further strengthen the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and South Korea, starting from a better recruitment and placement process which will be carried out through a government-to-government (G-to-G) scheme.

(Writer: Kiki Safitri | Editor: Bambang P. Jatmiko)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/05/31/201200326/-ri-dan-korsel-sepakati-perjanjian-perlindungan-awak-kapal-perikanan-indonesia.