Agencies Work Together for Seafarers’ Welfare in Taiwan
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Yong’s life — A drifting fisherman、A broken family
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P. C. T. Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center ~ News Letter 2013 Jan
The Presbyterian Church in TaiwanSeamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center No.2, 1F Yukang Chung 1st Rd., Chien-chen District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Tel:886 7 8227296
Fax:886 7 8416870
Website: http://www.pctsfsc.org.tw/
Bank: E.SUN COMMERCIAL BANK KAOHSIUNG BRANCH BANK Account No: 0082466056717 Name: The Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center Address: NO3. SZU WEI 4TH ROAD. LIN YA DISTRICT KAOHSIUNG TAIWAN R.O.C. SWT：ESUNTWTP
If you would like to receive the E-newsletter instead of the regular newsletter in the future, please e-mail us your e-mail address to pctsfsc@yahoo.com.tw 1
P. C. T. Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center ~ News Letter
2013 Jan
Agencies Work Together for Seafarers’ Welfare in Taiwan Oct 10, 2012 by Douglas B. Stevenson, Director, Center for Seafarers’ Rights I recently returned from a visit to Taiwan organized by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the PCT Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center in Kaohsiung (SFSC). I went to raise awareness of seafarers’ and fishers’ port welfare needs with government and industry leaders and explore ways in which non-governmental organizations can work with government and industry to provide seafarers’ welfare facilities and services. The SFSC is a member of the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA), and its director, the Rev. John Chuang, and Treasurer Ivy Wu trained at the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI). John, Ivy and SFSC Chairwoman Hsiu-Chi Weng accompanied me throughout my visit. My visit started with a seminar convened by Ambassador Rong-Chuan Wu, Director General of MOFA’s Department of NGO International. Attendees included high-level representatives from various MOFA departments, Prosecutors’ Offices, Fisheries Agency and SFSC. As ICMA Chairman, I explained the importance of merchant shipping and fishing to Taiwan’s prosperity and its importance in making seagoing careers attractive options for skilled people. I then briefed the seminar on how the 27 ICMA member organizations provide seafarers’ services at 526 centers in 126 countries, satisfying nations’ obligations to ensure seafarers’ welfare facilities exist in their ports. SFSC exemplifies the model of an NGO that provides seafarers with services domestically as well as internationally through membership in the ICMA network. Seminar discussions also included an update on the status of piracy off the coast of Somalia and how ICMA members are responding to piracy’s effects on seafarers, including SCI’s recently published clinical study report and work within the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program. Taiwan Fisheries Agency Deputy Director-General Ying-Chih Chiang and his staff met with us to discuss conditions on Taiwanese fishing vessels. He explained that although advancements have been made on Taiwanese flagged fishing vessels, there remain many challenges in protecting seafarers on foreign flag fishing vessels. I suggested as a possible solution requiring foreign fishing vessels to meet Taiwan’s standards as a condition of entry into Taiwan ports. 2
P. C. T. Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center ~ News Letter
2013 Jan
The Rev. Andrew T.C. Chang, General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan, graciously briefed us on the denomination’s many social action programs, including schools, hospitals, environmental programs and, of course, the SFSC. As an expert on Taiwan tea, he gave a tutorial and demonstration on enjoying the best tea from Taiwan. Kaohsiung Mayor Chu Chen formally welcomed me to her city. Mayor Chu Chen is a renowned human rights advocate very knowledgeable on maritime and seafarers’ rights issues. Under her leadership, Kaohsiung is a modern, well-run city. She pledged her support to enhancing seafarers’ welfare facilities in Kaohsiung. Some of the other highlights of my visit included discussions with ITF and National Chinese Seamen’s Union leaders, discussions with Law of the Sea expert Professor NienTsu Alfred Hu, meeting human rights advocate Legislator Bi-Khim Hsiao, touring the Port of Kaohsiung, being interviewed by TV and print media and getting to know SFSC’s wonderful staff and volunteers. My visit to Kaohsiung also highlighted the contrasts that continue to exist in the maritime world. One morning I visited Jade Shipbuilding, a modern shipyard constructing luxurious mega-yachts for super-wealthy owners. In the afternoon I visited a squid fishing vessel that had just returned from fishing off the coast of South America. Its crew lived on board for two years without a vacation in deplorable conditions for very little pay. An ordinary fisherman earned $180 a month and an officer earned $400 a month. I was astonished by the amazing transformation Taiwan has made in the twenty years since my last visit there. I am confident that similar advancements in seafarers’ welfare will be accomplished through the combined efforts of ICMA member organizations—especially SFSC and the Apostleship of the Sea— government and industry in Taiwan. Thanks to Ambassador Wu, MOFA Officer Christine Lin, Hsiu-Chi Weng, the Rev. John Chuang and Ivy Wu, seafarers’ and fishers’ welfare needs were raised to high levels, and hopefully high priorities, during my visit in Taiwan.
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P. C. T. Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center ~ News Letter
2013 Jan
Yong’s life — A drifting fisherman、A broken family There was an irrational noise broken into the office one day. The sound was coming from a mother with a mentally ill and probably manic depression symptom teenager. Things got cleared out after discussion; she was wife of a chief engineer asking help for his unemployed husband. Without further clarification of his husband’s status and reason of unemployment, she said if her husband doesn’t start working right away, their house could be under foreclosure and taken by bank. After serious consultation, we asked her to bring Yong in person thus we could understand his condition and needs in order for him to receive the proper assistance. However, she said her husband has spent almost all his life on the boat; and he can barely communicate with others. She negotiated the new contract and handled all the paper works every time Yong switch employer. This time she has found an agency for introducing a new employer; however, she couldn’t afford the cost. Fortunately, she knows that SFSC provides many valuable information and services without charge through fishermen association. Yong’s wife was an illiterate, and she started to describe A Yong’s miserable life and all the troubles about her family while her tears dropped without any hold back. A Yong’s unfortunate life began with harsh employers with unpaid salary, daughter left home without notice. Lack of order and logic, we could hardly understand Yong’s fisher life by the fragment status, such as: mentally retarded and manic-depressive son. The social worker was alerted to the key words and figured out their real problem were Yong’s health problems, difficult financial situation and disarray family relationship. SFSC went into Yong’s family and noticed his severe health condition especially lack of any labor and health insurance. We tried to negotiate with the former employer and applied for others emergency assistance or subvention. Nevertheless, the situation went down progressively worse, his house was pledged by the relatives, his daughter ran away from home, his wife divorced him, etc. We accompanied Yong through the hospitalization, death and funeral, yet we still couldn’t piece up his whole life. This was merely one of the miserable tale out of thousands seamen untold stories. Almost all of the seamen and fishing crews have to work their whole life on sea in order to support their family. Sea is like an invisible prison holding them back from home. Their life got even worse if their family turned out to be un-filial. Subsequently, these seamen have to face bankrupt, family separation, under poverty, even with illness after getting off from the boat. In the end of their life, they would be in debt with unpaid health insurance and huge amount of bill from hospital. 4