Jump to content Jump to footer
Southeast AsiaPhilippines

Plastic waste instead of fish, exploitation instead of income

The coastal communities of the Philippine province of Sarangani depend heavily on fishing. But commercial fishing fleets empty fish stocks and fishermen lose their livelihoods. If they are hired for industrial fishing, they often fall victim to exploitation and human trafficking.

The boat, with which Norbhen Costańo goes out, is rented. One day's catch is barely enough to feed his family. (Photo: Mark Henry/AWO International)
The boat, with which Norbhen Costańo goes out, is rented. One day's catch is barely enough to feed his family. (Photo: Mark Henry/AWO International)

With depleting fish stocks in Philippine waters, the income of fishermen and their families continues to shrink. The Bay of Sarangani in the south of the Philippines is particularly affected by this. Here, fishermen in small traditional wooden boats (bangkas) compete with large commercial industrial ships. The commercial overfishing in coastal waters massively reduces the catch for small fishermen. Instead of catching fish, they catch plastic waste – highlighting another problem in the community: the lack of waste management in the marginalized coastal communities.

 From the small daily catch, the fishers still need to deduct the rent for the bangka – since very few can afford their own boat.  Fishing is barely enough to feed their families. If small fishermen give up and look for work on one of the commercial ships, they are often exploited. Due to their limited income and awareness of the risks, jobseekers in the fishing industry are increasingly the victims of fraud by illegal recruiters and human trafficking.

Protecting fishermen and tackling marine pollution

OND HESED Foundation was established in 1999 by members of the Oblates of Notre Dame (OND), an independent Catholic order, to implement development projects for marginalized populations of all religions.

Together with our partner organization, OND HESED Foundation – we work on combatting trafficking of fishermen in the province of Sarangani by strengthening self-help groups (SHGs) for the social protection of fishing families, especially mothers and wives, and their communities. OND HESED also complements existing government social services to provide victims of human trafficking with the necessary support. In this way, we not only reduce the risks of fishermen getting caught in human trafficking, but also the risks of new and repeated victimizations of jobseekers. To add, OND Hesed is also committed to improving working conditions in the fishing industry.

 The foundation, like AWO International, focuses on strengthening social structures. To date, OND HESED has founded, supported, and strengthened 19 Peoples Organizations and 243 self-help groups with a membership of around 3,000.

Projectinfo

Project Reducing the Risks of Trafficking in Persons (and Forced Labour) in Fishing Communities through the Strengthening of Social Structures
Place/Region General Santos City and municipalities of Kiamba and Maasim in the province of Sarangani, Philippines
Partner OND HESED Foundation
Target group Fisherfolk associations and marginalized fishers; wives and families of fishers; victims of trafficking
Activities
  • Collaborating with social structures to improve the socio-economic situation and well-being of fishers and their families in General Santos City and Sarangani Province·   
  • Strengthening coordination and cooperation with stakeholders to ensure the active participation of coastal communities in anti-trafficking efforts
  • Helping improve government and civil society cooperation efforts on reducing the incidence of trafficking in persons
Duration 2021-2023
Budget 73.333 Euro p.a.
Sponsor BMZ

You might also be interested in

E Participants in a stakeholder dialogue discuss strategies for safe labour migration. MMCEAI brought together 52 representatives from local government agencies and community organizations (Photo: AWO International)
Southeast AsiaPhilippines

Protecting migrant workers from exploitation and abuse

Every day, many women from the island of Mindanao leave their families to migrate abroad for work. A large percentage end up being exploited and abused. Together with our partner organization, MMCEAI, we aim to facilitate for a safer migration process for all stakeholders involved.

more information
In trainings and workshops children and young people learn about their rights and how they can fight for them. (Photo: AWO International)
Southeast AsiaPhilippines

Halting child trafficking and sexual exploitation

Time and again, children and women on the Philippine island of Mindanao become victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation. In addition, cases of sexual abuse on the Internet are becoming more frequent. Together with our partner organization Child Alert Mindanao, we implemented protective measures and education programmes to strengthen the awareness on and protection of the rights of children and women.

more information
Our partner organisation INFEST offers education and information on the subject of secure migration as well as workshops and training courses. In this way, former migrants or family members can pass on their experiences and knowledge on the subject. (Photo: AWO International)
Southeast AsiaIndonesiaMalaysia

Strengthening rights for migrant workers across borders

Hundreds of thousands of people leave Indonesia every year in search of better income. Many of them run the risk of becoming victims of abuse, exploitation and human trafficking. Together with our partner organization - INFEST, we are committed to facilitating safe migration and promoting decent working conditions in Indonesia and Malaysia.

more information
X

Cookie consent

AWO International e.V. uses cookies to ensure the smooth functioning of our platform (technically necessary cookies). In addition, we ask for your consent to the use of cookies for analysis purposes and improvement of the platform (statistical cookies).