child labor in deep sea fishing and fish

CHILD LABOR IN DEEP SEA CHILD LABOR IN DEEP SEA FISHING AND FISH SORTING FISHING AND FISH SORTING

INDUSTRIES IN PATTANI INDUSTRIES IN PATTANI PROVINCE, THAILANDPROVINCE, THAILAND

SY2000-2001SY2000-2001

By

Dr. MARUT DAMCHA-OM

BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND

Map of the WorldMap of the World

PROFILE OF PROFILE OF THAILANDTHAILAND

Map of Map of Thailand Thailand

and Pattaniand Pattani

PopulationPopulation

POPULATION OF THAILAND = 63 million

POPULATION OF PATTANI = 622,845

(Provincial statistics Aug. 2002)

ReligionReligion

ThailandThailand95% BUDDHIST2% MUSLIM3% OTHERS

Pattani95% MUSLIM3% BUDDHIST2% OTHERS

Pattani HarborPattani Harbor

Deep-sea Fishing Boat Deep-sea Fishing Boat LaborersLaborers

Fish-sorting LaborersFish-sorting Laborers

Educational Attendance of Children Between the Ages of 14-17 in

Pattani

Total Number of Children• 46,941 (100%)

Out of School • 15,953 (33.99%)

Children’s Rights to EducationChildren’s Rights to Education

CHILDREN RIGHTS = HUMAN RIGHTSCHILDREN RIGHTS = HUMAN RIGHTS

RIGHT TO LIVERIGHT TO LIVE

RIGHT TO LEARNRIGHT TO LEARN

RIGHT TO EDUCATIONRIGHT TO EDUCATION

Constitution of the Kingdom of Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand 1997Thailand 1997

Section 43Section 43“A person shall enjoy an equal right to

receive the fundamental education for the duration of not less than twelve years which shall be provided by the State

thoroughly, up to the quality and without charge …”

Significance of the StudySignificance of the Study

Increase awareness of child labor in Pattani among parents, educators, schools, and community officials

Results of this study will be helpful to policy makers in developing relevant policies regarding child laborers

Results may motivate communities and Non Government Organizations to design programs that directly address the children’s situation

Objective of the StudyObjective of the Study

To investigate the living conditions of To investigate the living conditions of

children working in deep sea fishingchildren working in deep sea fishing

boats and fish sorting industriesboats and fish sorting industries

Focus of the StudyFocus of the Study

1.1. ProfileProfilea.a. AgeAge

b.b. SexSex

c.c. NationalityNationality

d.d. Educational AttainmentEducational Attainment

e.e. Language AbilityLanguage Ability

Focus of the StudyFocus of the Study

2.2. Earnings and WelfareEarnings and Welfare

3.3. Health StatusHealth Status

4.4. Employers’ OpinionEmployers’ Opinion

5.5. Reason for WorkingReason for Working

Definition of TermsDefinition of Terms

Child Labor: Any work that endangers the life, health, well-being, and development of the child

Deep-sea fishing child laborers:Children under the age of 18 engaged in deep-sea fishing off the coast of Pattani

Fish-sorting child laborers:Children under the age of 18 working as

fish- sorters in Pattani

Research MethodologyResearch Methodology

• Population & Sample

• Instrumentation & Data Collection

• Data Analysis

Findings: ProfileFindings: ProfileA) Age A) Age

12-14 Years18%

15-17 Years82%

Deep Sea Fishing Fish Sorting

15-17 Years61%

12-14 Years39%

Findings: ProfileFindings: Profile B) Sex B) Sex

45

0 0

165

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

Male Female

Deep Sea FishingFish Sorting

Findings: ProfileFindings: ProfileC) NationalityC) Nationality

Thai53%

Burmese14%

Cambodian33%

Fish Sorting: 100% Thai

Deep Sea Fishing:

Findings: ProfileFindings: ProfileD) Educational AttainmentD) Educational Attainment

Grade 662%

No Education

5%Grade 933%Grade 4

24%

Grade 612%

No Education

64%


Findings: ProfileFindings: ProfileE) Language Ability (Thai)E) Language Ability (Thai)

Speak Read and Write51%

Could not

Speak Read

or Write

Speak Only17%


Speak Only6%

Could not

Speak, Read or Write7%

Speak, Read & Write87%

2. Earnings and Welfare2. Earnings and Welfare Earnings in US Dollars per Earnings in US Dollars per

MonthMonth

Less Than $23.8051%

$23.80 22%

$71.50 27%

Deep Sea Fishing

Fish Sorting

Less than $23.8055%

$83.302%

$23.80- $47.6043%

2. Earnings and Welfare 2. Earnings and Welfare Welfare - Drinking WaterWelfare - Drinking Water

Not Provided

64%

Provided36%

Deep Sea Fishing: 100% Provided

Fish Sorting:

3. Health Status3. Health Status

Never Been Ill

87%

Been Ill13%


Never Been Ill

57%

Been Ill43%

4. Employers’ Opinion4. Employers’ Opinion

Deep-Sea Fishing

Requirements of laborers

• resilience

• strength and endurance

• male

70% prefer adult laborers

30% prefer child laborers

Child and adult are treated equally.

Employers’ Opinion (cont’d)Employers’ Opinion (cont’d)

Fish-sorting

75% prefer adult laborers

• more patient

• more experienced

• faster workers

25% prefer child laborers

• young and active, fast and obedient

• unaware of children’s rights

•Easy to please

5.Reason for Working5.Reason for Working

No Other Jobs

Available20%

Need Income to Support Families

70%

Peer Influence

10%


Need Income to Support Families

67%

Peer Influence

10%No Other

Jobs Available

23%

ConclusionsConclusions1. Fish-sorting is female dominated while deep-sea

fishing industry is a male dominated industry

2. Deep-sea fishing industry is attractive to both male adult and child laborers

3. The Thai fishing industry is attractive to neighboring countries.

4. The Thai deep sea fishing and fish sorting industries lure children away from school

5. Low economic status of parents drive children to join the fishing and sorting industry

Conclusions (cont’d)Conclusions (cont’d)

5. The majority of health problems were due to working accidents

6. Both parents and children are not aware of the value of education

7. The fishing and sorting industry is not aware of children’s rights to education, a basic human right.

8.8. Children are stripped of normal healthy and Children are stripped of normal healthy and meaningful livesmeaningful lives

RecommendationsRecommendations

1.1. Since the fishing industry is attractive to Since the fishing industry is attractive to neighboring countries, the Thai government neighboring countries, the Thai government should be more strict in checking the should be more strict in checking the implementation of the hiring of laborers from implementation of the hiring of laborers from other countries other countries

2.2. The Ministry of Education, Thailand should The Ministry of Education, Thailand should provide relevant non-formal education and provide relevant non-formal education and vocational training programs for parents and vocational training programs for parents and adults in the communityadults in the community

Recommendations (cont’d)Recommendations (cont’d)

3.3. The Ministry of Health should organize training The Ministry of Health should organize training for the fishing and sorting industry managers for the fishing and sorting industry managers on work hazards prevention and health care of on work hazards prevention and health care of employees employees

4.4. The Thai national and local government and The Thai national and local government and education stakeholders should collaborate for education stakeholders should collaborate for strong social mobilization and advocacy on the strong social mobilization and advocacy on the value of education for children. value of education for children.


5.5. Government agencies and NGOs concerned Government agencies and NGOs concerned should be more active in disseminating should be more active in disseminating information on children’s rights to education, information on children’s rights to education, particularly to the fishing and sorting industries.particularly to the fishing and sorting industries.

6.6. Government agencies concerned should be Government agencies concerned should be more strict in implementing the anti-child labor more strict in implementing the anti-child labor law.law.


7.7. Schools should be more student-friendly and Schools should be more student-friendly and school community based to attract the child school community based to attract the child laborers to go back to schoollaborers to go back to school

8.8. Access to appropriate non formal education Access to appropriate non formal education programmes as well as Thai language programmes as well as Thai language teaching should be open to child laborers. teaching should be open to child laborers.

Thank Thank YouYou

child labor in deep sea fishing and fish

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