Key Traceability have recently concluded a responsible recruitment project working with FCF and the Indonesian Fishermen Association (INFISA) to train Indonesian sending country recruitment agencies. The training was conducted on-site in Tegal, Indonesia and included responsible recruitment practices, pre-departure orientation, contract terms, fisher awareness and rights, payments, and more. The project also delivered training to INFISA on the monitoring and implementation of new policies and procedures in their member agencies with the aim of ensuring effective verification. Attendees from the seven agencies received a certificate to demonstrate their understanding of the subject and in recognition of their continuous learning.
Lia Hayman who heads the KT Social Department and has helped organize the training says that “We believe that this Responsible Recruitment Training conducted in collaboration with FCF and INFISA is leading the way in ensuring crew rights are ensured right at the start of a fisher’s journey. Collaborating between the parties shows commitment of the supply chain to educate sending country recruitment agencies in best practices and drive change in fisher welfare. The recruitment of fishers onto fishing vessels is complex and therefore this training showed an important step in the right direction in terms of what needs to be improved for the conditions of fishers as it focused on decent contracts, deployment processes and grievance procedures. The sending country recruitment agencies are difficult to engage in social programs, and it was great to not only have them show up, but to be involved in the discussions and solutions.”
