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 shore, industry officials say.
The 130 commercial fishing boats based in Honolulu rely almost entirely on foreign crews from impoverished Southeast Asian and Pacific countries who have no legal standing and never set foot in the U.S.
kAmp? k2 E2C86ElQU>52D9j3=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^6IA=@C6^D627@@5\7C@>\D=2G6D^92H2::2?\D627@@5\42F89E\7@C6:8?\4C6HD\4@?7:?65\3@2ED]9E>=QmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD :?G6DE:82E:@?k^2m :?E@ E96 w2H2:: 7=66E :? a_`e 7@F?5 >6? =:G:?8 :? DBF2=@C @? D@>6 3@2ED[ 7@C465 E@ FD6 3F4<6ED :?DE625 @7 E@:=6ED[ DF776C:?8 D@C6D 7C@> 365 3F8D 2?5 D@>6E:>6D =24<:?8 DF77:4:6?E 7@@5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 >2?J H@C<6CD 4@G6E E96 ;@3D H9:49 A2J >@C6 E92? E96J 4@F=5 62C? 324< 9@>6[ EH@ x?5@?6D:2? 7:D96C>6? — $@C:9:?[ H9@ FD6D ;FDE @?6 ?2>6[ 2?5 p35F= u2E29 — C2? 2H2J 7C@> E96:C 3@2E[ E96 $62 "F66? xx[ :? a__h H96? :E H2D F?=@25:?8 :ED 42E49 2E $2? uC2?4:D4@VD u:D96C>2?VD (92C7]k^Am
kAmtG6?EF2==J[ 7656C2= @77:4:2=D :DDF65 6249 @7 E96> 2 DA64:2= G:D2 56D:8?2E65 7@C G:4E:>D @7 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8[ 2?5 :? a_`d E96J DF65 E96 3@2E @H?6C[ 4=2:>:?8 E96J H6C6 56?:65 >65:42= EC62E>6?E[ G6C32==J 23FD65 2?5 E9C62E6?65 H:E9 967EJ 766D :7 E96J EC:65 E@ =62G6] %96 D6EE=6>6?E H2D 5:D4=@D65 (65?6D52J]k^Am
kAm%96 D6EE=6>6?E[ 7@C 2? F?5:D4=@D65 DF>[ C6BF:C6D H@C<6CD @? E96 $62 "F66? xx 2?5 :ED D:DE6C G6DD6= E@ C646:G6 56E2:=65 4@56D @7 4@?5F4E @FE=:?:?8 E96:C C:89ED 2?5 H2JD E@ 86E 96=A :7 ?66565] rC6HD @? E96 EH@ 3@2ED >FDE 92G6 2E =62DE ff 9@FCD @7 C6DE 2 H66< 2?5 2446DD E@ E96:C A2DDA@CED]k^Am
kAmxE 5@6D?VE :>A24E 2== @7 E96 @E96C 4@>>6C4:2= 7:D9:?8 3@2ED :? w2H2:: 2?5 r2=:7@C?:2[ 3FE 2EE@C?6J p8?:6D<2 uCJDK>2? D2:5 :E D9@F=5 24E 2D 2 H2<6FA 42== E@ E96 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6VD D:>A=J ?@ 6I4FD6 7@C EFC?:?8 2 3=:?5 6J6 E@ 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8[ 2?5 H6 =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ 4@?E:?F:?8 @FC 677@CED E@ 9@=5 @E96CD :? E96 :?5FDECJ 244@F?E23=6[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6C 4=:6?E $@C:9:?[ H9@ ?@H 5C:G6D 7@C 2 C:56\D92C6 4@>A2?J 2?5 =:G6D H:E9 9:D 72>:=J :? E96 $2? uC2?4:D4@ q2J pC62[ D2:5 :? 2? 6>2:= E92E E96 D6EE=6>6?E 92D 8:G6? 9:> Q2 D6?D6 @7 A6246]Qk^Am
kAmQx 9@A6 :E H:== 3C:?8 36EE6C EC62E>6?E E@ D62>6? @? E96 $62 "F66? 2?5 :? E96 7:D9:?8 :?5FDECJ[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmz6? q2DD[ }8FJ6?VD D@?\:?\=2H H9@ :D 24E:?8 2D 9:D 2EE@C?6J[ D2:5 :E H2D?VE 2 42D6 @7 9F>2? EC277:4<:?8 2?5 :?DE625 H2D 2 4@?EC24E >:I\FA 36EH66? =23@C 3C@<6CD :? x?5@?6D:2 2?5 2 w2H2::2? C64CF:E6C 24E:?8 2D 2 >:55=6>2?]k^Am
kAmQ$@ E96J 32D:42==J 925 5:776C6?E 4@?EC24ED 3FE ?@ @?6 2E E96 E:>6 <?6H E92E[ D@ E92EVD :>>65:2E6=J 8@:?8 E@ =625 E@ >:DF?56CDE2?5:?8[Q q2DD D2:5] Qx7 2?J3@5J H2D 4F=A23=6[ :E H2D E96 3C@<6C :? x?5@?6D:2]Qk^Am
kAmw2H2:: DE2E6 =68:D=2E@C z2?:6=2 x?8[ H9@ 92D AFD965 7@C =682= AC@E64E:@?D 7@C E96 7:D96C>6?[ D2:5 >@C6 ?665D E@ 36 5@?6]k^Am
kAmQ*@FVG6 8@E E@ C6>6>36C E96 A=2:?E:77D :? E9:D 42D6 925 E@ CF? @77 E96 5@4<D 2?5 E9C@F89 E96 E@H?[ C:D<:?8 E96:C =:G6=:9@@5D[Q 96 D2:5] Q%9:D :D @3G:@FD=J 2 3:886C AC@3=6> E92? E9:D :D@=2E65 42D6[ D@ 9@H 42? H6 4C62E6 2 A@=:4J E92E 42? AC@E64E 2== H@C<6CD @? E96D6 G6DD6=DnQk^Am
kAmy:> r@@< 2E E96 w2H2:: {@?8=:?6 pDD@4:2E:@?[ H9:49 C6AC6D6?ED 3@2E @H?6CD[ D2:5 E96 D6EE=6>6?E @FE=:?6D 4@>>@? D6?D6 :E6>D E92E 2C6 DE2?52C5 :? E96 7=66E[ QD@ H6 5@?VE D66 2?J :>A24E]Qk^Am
kAmr@@< D2:5 E96 2DD@4:2E:@? :D AC6A2C:?8 :ED @H? 4@56 @7 4@?5F4E E@ 5:DEC:3FE6 E@ 3@2E @H?6CD]k^Am
kAmw2H2::VD 6?E:C6 6=64E65 56=682E:@? :? (2D9:?8E@? :D DFAA@CE:?8 7656C2= =68:D=2E:@? E92E H@F=5 2==@H 7:D96C>6? E@ 86E G:D2D D@ E96J 4@F=5 4@>6 @?D9@C6 H96? E96JVC6 ?@E 7:D9:?8]k^Am
kAm$6?] |2K:6 w:C@?@ D2:5 E96 =2HDF:E F?56CD4@C6D 4@?46C?D DFCC@F?5:?8 D@>6 A6@A=6 :? E96 =@?8=:?6 7:D9:?8 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAmQ|J =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 AC@G:56 EC2?DA2C6?4J 2?5 DFDE2:?23:=:EJ 7@C 8@@5 24E@CD :? w2H2::VD =@?8=:?6 7:D9:?8 :?5FDECJ[ H9:=6 AC@E64E:?8 7@C6:8? H@C<6CD 2?5 9@=5:?8 325 24E@CD 244@F?E23=6[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmqCF46 p?56CD@?[ E96 25>:?:DEC2E@C 7@C E96 w2H2::2? 56A2CE>6?E E92E :DDF6D 7:D9:?8 =:46?D6D E@ 7@C6:8? 7:D96C>6?[ D2:5 E96 D6EE=6>6?E 255C6DD6D >2?J @7 E96 :DDF6D C2:D65 3J E9@D6 4@?46C?65 23@FE E96 EC62E>6?E 2?5 4@?5:E:@?D @? D@>6 `b_ =@?8=:?6 G6DD6=D :? w2H2::]k^Am
kAmQxE >2J 36 2 8@@5 >@56= 7@C 6>A=@J>6?E 4@?EC24ED H:E9 7:D96C>6? @? =@?8=:?6 G6DD6=D 32D65 96C6 :? w2H2::[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm———k^Am
kAmpDD@4:2E65 !C6DD HC:E6C |2C8:6 |2D@? 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]k^Am
kAm———k^Am
kAm#625 E96 6?E:C6 p! D6C:6D @? 23FD6D :? E96 7:D9:?8 :?5FDECJi k2 E2C86ElQU>52D9j3=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^6IA=@C6^D627@@5\7C@>\D=2G6DQm9EEADi^^HHH]2A]@C8^6IA=@C6^D627@@5\7C@>\D=2G6Dk^2mk^Am
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.