Increase in Foreign Seafarers on Longline Fishing Vessels Due to Labor Shortages

The Ministry of Justice in South Korea has approved a proposal to increase the number of foreign seafarers on longline fishing vessels by 2,500 individuals. This decision was made in response to a labor shortage in the fishing industry. Currently, there are 19,500 foreign seafarers on these vessels, and this number will rise to 22,000 with the new approval. The onboard personnel count will also increase from 11,000 to 12,000. The allocation of foreign seafarers must be agreed upon by the Federation of Korean Seafarers’ Unions and the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, and the final decision rests with the Ministry of Justice.

In addition to the increase in foreign seafarers on longline fishing vessels, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives has collaborated with the seafarers’ union to introduce a scheme to increment the number of foreign seafarers in the offshore gillnetting industry. This scheme will apply to vessels with 12 or more individuals onboard. The hiring of up to seven foreign seafarers per vessel in various industries will also undergo a one-year pilot phase. This decision was accelerated due to the support of the ruling People Power Party, who visited the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives in May.

Source .