Indonesia’s formal ratification of the ILO Work in Fishing Convention is a historic milestone for workers and will boost the sustainability of the fishing industry, the writer argues.Such reforms require a broad coalition beyond traditional labor actors and must include fisheries authorities, fishing companies, fishers’ organizations and conservation groups.“Fishers working under safer and fairer conditions are more likely to engage in responsible fishing practices and support conservation measures,” the author writes.This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
Indonesia’s recent ratification of the ILO Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (C188) is a historic milestone for the country’s fisheries sector. The ratification is expected to strengthen the protection of fishers; improve working and living conditions at sea; and enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian seafood products in international markets, where buyers increasingly require compliance with labor, human rights and sustainability standards.
One of the key lessons from Indonesia’s ratification of ILO Convention No. 188 is that fisheries labor reform requires a broad coalition beyond traditional labor actors. Because the convention directly affects the fisheries sector, successful advocacy depended on active engagement from fisheries authorities, fishing companies, fishers’ organizations and other sectoral stakeholders.Indonesia’s progress was driven by an inclusive “tripartite plus” approach, which combined collaboration among government, employers and workers, with advocacy and technical support from civil society organizations and international partners, including Greenpeace, the Freedom Fund, International Justice Mission and the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). These stakeholders played a critical role in raising awareness, generating evidence, strengthening engagement and building public support for ratification.
