Fishers and Plunderers: Theft, Slavery and Violence at Sea

Abuses and slavery at sea are largely missing from narratives of work and environmental exploitation in the mainstream. This book shines a light on the exploitation of fish and fishers alike in a global industry driven by profits. Conservation and human rights in this industry are huge problems: with vast overprovision of vessels and shortages of fish, labour costs are targeted and young men are trafficked from poor areas onto vessels in virtual slavery. The resultant poverty and debt bonding pushes many towards trafficking drugs and piracy - although the criminality linked to the industry extends far beyond the level of the individual, vessel or fleet. Using first hand testimony and shocking examples of these abuses, the book uncovers these crimes and injustices, with the authors arguing for regulations which if implemented could protect the rights of fishers across the board.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures, Tables and Plates List of Acronyms and Abbreviations Acknowledgements Foreword by Deirdre Fitzpatrick 1. Introduction Part I: The Fishing Industry and the Race to Fish 2. Fish, Gear and Boats 3. The Risks of Working at Sea 4. Nation States’ Rights to Fish 5. Employment and Poverty in Fishing Communities 6. Destruction and Theft of Fish Stocks 7. Laundering and Marketing Stolen Fish Part II: The Plight of the Fishers 8. Arrests of Fishers 9. Getting a Crew by Dubious Contracting and Slave Trafficking 10. Abuses and Slavery at Sea 11. Escape from Hell 12. Fishing Vessels and the Drugs Trade 13. Piracy and Armed Robbery 14. Conclusion: Problems and Prospects Notes Index

About the Author :
Professor Alastair Couper is former Head of the Department of Maritime Studies and International Transport at the University of Cardiff, Wales, UK, and former Director of the Seafarers International Research Centre in that Department, a world-leading maritime studies centre. His books include Voyages of Abuse (Pluto, 1999) and Fishers and Plunderers (Pluto, 2015). He is on the Board of Seafarers' Rights International. Hance D. Smith specialises in Marine Geography and Marine Policy including the development and management of marine fisheries. He is the co-author of Fishers and Plunderers (Pluto, 2015). Father Bruno Ciceri is representative of the Apostleship of the Sea International (Vatican City), Chairman of the International Christian Maritime Association, and is a member of the Board of Seafarers' Rights International. He has worked for many years caring for seafarers and fishers in several countries of Asia. He has published on sea fishers' conditions and human rights. He is the co-author of Fishers and Plunderers (Pluto, 2015).

Review :
'Within it are riches and horror' 'Alastair has exposed the dirty secret of human rights abuse that borders on genocide of innocent young fishers in an industry infested with criminality where the flag state is absent or where it is victim and culprit at the same time. This book is a challenge to our humanity, a call for action to reverse this onslaught on our blue planet, and for policies of reason to replace the state of denial that is currently the nature of this troubled industry' 'Fishers and Plunderers is a must read for policy makers, scholars, activists and students concerned with universal human rights at sea and the moral imperative to protect vulnerable people' 'This is yet another brilliant work not to be missed from Professor Couper. It is a compelling work on fishers brilliantly written for a wide audience - from policy makers, universities, training institutions, human rights groups to the consumers of fish' 'A passionate and devastating critique that deserves a wide readership' 'Excellent' 'The authors manage to convey a righteous anger that is all the more powerful for being restrained, analytical and supported by both data and personal testimony. This is a necessary book for all who care about the sea and the lives of those who work on it'