Taiwan boosts foreign fishing crew wages

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Fisheries Agency has required employers to raise wages for foreign fishing crew members to improve labor rights.

Beginning this year, the minimum monthly salary for newly hired foreign crew members will increase from NT$17,265 (US$550) to NT$17,892. If employers fail to comply with regulations, the agency will not approve employment permits for foreign crew, Fisheries Agency Deputy Director-General Lin Ding-rong (林頂榮) said.

In addition to wage increases, the agency said it is also establishing mechanisms for wage payment reporting and wage advance/compensation, to ensure crew members receive the pay they are owed. It will also continue to promote Wi-Fi installation on ships, telemedicine, and contract digitization.

The Fisheries Agency said that since 2022, it has implemented the Fisheries and Human Rights Action Plan to systematically boost labor and human rights conditions on distant-water fishing vessels. So far, it has made improvements in areas such as labor inspections, working conditions, wage protections, communications, and living environments, it said.

The agency said that after reviewing the needs of foreign crew and gathering input from relevant groups, it has completed drafting and adjustments for the second-phase plan, which will last until 2029. The plan will continue key existing measures, including increasing labor inspections on fishing vessels.

Other priorities include aligning domestic law with the International Labour Organization’s Work in Fishing Convention. A draft implementation act has undergone an interagency review and must be approved by the Cabinet before being sent to the Legislative Yuan.