Illegal fishing industries and fishing rafts are the leading causes of human trafficking in Ye Township. Dr. Aung Naing Oo, the parliamentary representative for Chaungzone Township Constituency (1) during a presentation at the Mon State Hluttaw15th regular session held yesterday.
“I want to point out that human trafficking, and [other] criminal activities are occurring in the illegal fishing boats, fishing blocks, and fishing rafts [sector]. These are the root causes of human rights violations,” said Dr. Aung Naing Oo.
In July 2019, MNA reported on the rise of human trafficking on the east coast of Myanmar. ‘Brokers’ from the fishing industry take advantage of fisher folk in the off season, typically forcing these individuals to work on fishing rafts or other projects by force including threatening the workers that if they don’t work, they will be thrown of the fishing rafts and into the sea.
According to the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law of Myanmar established in 2005, human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transfer, hiring, sale, purchase, lending, harboring or receipt of a person after committing acts of exploitation of a person with or without his consent.
Dr. Aung Naing, Oo, stressed the need to take serious action against these activities.
“Since the beginning of last year, there have been over 400 legal fishing industries in Ye township. Earlier this year, we have observed a rapid increase in the number of [fishery operations] it has now reached 1000,” he added.
“Due to the weakness of respective departments, and the lack of practical oversight, illegal fishing boats have been on the rise year after year, and that makes legal fisheries owners suffer a lot,” U Chit Thin, need to identify who and where U Chit Thin is –what agency? added.
There are 14 fishing blocks in Ye Township, and more than 400 unlicensed fisheries have been investigated.
According to the Ye Township Fishery Department 2018-19 records, there are 387 inshore fishing boats, 195 offshore fishing boats, and over 1000 fishing rafts. The respective department also issued a work permit to 4,500 fishermen.
