11 May 2005
Child Labor in the Philippine Fishing Industry
In the Philippines, which has more than 7,000 islands, fishing is a very important part of the country's economic activity. With poverty and population rates high, hazardous child labor in the fishing industry is common. Some children work up to eight hours at night, diving to chase fish into nets, while others work on six- to 10-month deep-sea fishing expeditions where they dive as deep as 15 meters without protective gear. These child laborers are at risk of ear damage, injuries from falls, shark attacks, snake bites, and drowning, among other hazards.
Through its Timebound Program, the International Labor Organization’s International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC) is working to remove children from fishing crews and provide them with healthcare, counseling, and educational support such as basic literacy training, non-formal education, and school supplies. A major focus of the project is to implement sustainable child-labor monitoring systems. The project has formed monitoring teams composed of IPEC project staff and personnel from Philippines government agencies, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquative Resources, the Coast Guard, and the Department of Labor and Employment. The teams have conducted random inspections on fishing vessels and in communities where children are typically recruited for work.
Municipalities have been encouraged to take responsibility for providing law enforcement protection to ex-child laborers and for monitoring activities. Project staff have successfully transferred monitoring responsibilities to local agencies, and the project has developed standard screening procedures for boat crew members that can be used by local authorities.
From the May 2005 edition of eJournal USA
