Jakarta, IO – Six crew members from Indonesia were allegedly enslaved and tortured on an illegal foreign-flagged ship. In a desperate bid to escape, they jumped into the sea and tried to swim away, but one of them died of exhaustion in Maluku waters, Wednesday (17/4).
Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry’s Oceanic and Fisheries Resources Surveillance (PSDKP) acting director general Pung Nugroho Saksono explained that the incident happened when the ship was sailing to Penambulai to tranfer illegally-caught fish, per CNN Indonesia, Fri (19/4).
“One person died and his body has been found while the other five survived,” Pung confirmed. “We learned that the 55 crew employed on the foreign ship were cruelly treated.”
Muhammad Sanusi Iskandar, one of the crew members, revealed that in addition to the work environment that is akin to modern-day slavery, the wages promised to them had not been paid.
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One of the bad treatments he received was having to share a tray of food which 30 other people. They were also given water Air Conditioner droplets and rainwater when they refused to work and went on a strike.
Muhammad Iqbal, head of the Fishing Vessel Manning Work Team of the Directorate General of Capture Fisheries (DJPT) said that his agency would take further action to pursue the foreign vessel. It will also assist 25 crew members to find work at Indonesian-owned fishing vessels. (un)