"Indonesian fishermen settle human trafficking suit" 04 January 2018

A human trafficking lawsuit just settled between two Indonesian fishermen and an American boat owner will not impact nearly 800 other foreign fishermen in Hawaii's fleet who are banned from leaving boats when the vessels reach US shores....

An...investigation into the Hawaii fleet...found men living in squalor on some boats, forced to use buckets instead of toilets, suffering sores from bed bugs and sometimes lacking sufficient food.

...Two Indonesian fishermen...ran away from their boat, the Sea Queen II...when it was unloading its catch at San Francisco....

Eventually, federal officials issued each of them a special visa designated for victims of human trafficking...claiming they were denied medical treatment, verbally abused and threatened with hefty fees if they tried to leave....

The settlement...requires workers on the Sea Queen II and its sister vessel to receive detailed codes of conduct outlining their rights and ways to get help if needed. Crews on the two boats must have at least 77 hours of rest a week and access to their passports.

Hawaii state legislator Kaniela Ing, who has pushed for legal protections for the fishermen....