COVID-19, instability and migrant fish workers in Asia

Melissa Marschke; Peter Vandergeest; Elizabeth Havice; Alin Kadfak; Peter Duker; Ilinca Isopescu; Mallory MacDonnell

doi:10.1007/s40152-020-00205-y

COVID-19, instability and migrant fish workers in Asia

Marit Stud. 2021;20(1):87-99. doi: 10.1007/s40152-020-00205-y. Epub 2020 Nov 23.

Authors

Melissa Marschke¹, Peter Vandergeest², Elizabeth Havice³, Alin Kadfak⁴, Peter Duker², Ilinca Isopescu¹, Mallory MacDonnell²

Affiliations

¹ School of International Development and Global Studies, University of Ottawa, 120 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 Canada.
² York University, Toronto, Canada.
³ University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA.
⁴ Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.

Abstract

This paper seeks to establish how COVID-19 is impacting migrant fish workers through focusing on two global fish hubs, Thailand and Taiwan. Through a careful review of the news reports, social media, and NGO reports and press releases, three significant themes emerged: employment disruptions due to seafood system instabilities; travel or mobility restrictions; and poor access to services such as health care or social programs. We unpack each theme in turn to spotlight the impacts COVID-19 is having on yet another vulnerable worker population, fish workers. We further reflect on what this pandemic reveals about unacceptable work in industrial fisheries and consider if the pandemic may be producing opportunities to advocate for better working conditions.

Keywords: Industrial fisheries; Labour; Migration; Pandemic; Seafood.