The Provincial Government of North Kalimantan, Indonesia, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), launched a Joint Inspection Team for Labour Norms onboard fishing vessels on September 9, 2025, in Tarakan City. The event, presided over by Governor Zainal Arifin Paliwang and represented by his expert staff, marks a key step toward improving labour conditions in the province’s fishing sector while promoting the sustainability of its marine economy. The initiative underscores the province’s commitment to protecting fishers and ensuring that economic growth goes hand in hand with safety, dignity, and opportunity.
North Kalimantan’s fishing industry, encompassing both capture fisheries and aquaculture, is a critical economic driver, supporting over 16,400 fishers and 11,117 fishing vessels, most of which are small-scale boats under five gross tons operating within 12 nautical miles. The newly formed Joint Inspection Team is tasked with safeguarding workers’ rights and welfare, particularly those onboard fishing vessels, through strengthened labour regulations, joint inspections, and improved coordination between fisheries and labour inspectors. The team also aims to develop technology-based education and information systems to enhance compliance and awareness.
Established under Governor’s Decree No. 100.3.3.1/295/2025, the interdisciplinary team operates under the direct supervision of the Governor and includes officials from the Provincial Marine Affairs and Fisheries Office and the Provincial Manpower and Transmigration Office. Governor Paliwang emphasized that a robust inspection mechanism is essential to harness North Kalimantan’s marine resources for economic growth while ensuring safe and dignified working conditions for fishers.
The launch coincides with the 75th anniversary of Indonesia’s ILO membership and builds on prior national efforts to reform labour inspection in the fishing sector. These efforts were formalized in a 2022 Memorandum of Understanding between the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries and the Minister of Manpower to enhance inter-ministerial coordination and inspector capacity. The initiative aligns with the ILO’s Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia Programme, funded by the European Union and implemented alongside the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The programme promotes safe labour migration and decent work across Southeast Asia’s fish and seafood supply chains.
Support for the initiative was highlighted by Denis Chaibi, EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam, who noted that North Kalimantan’s Joint Inspection Team is the second of its kind in Indonesia, following the successful establishment of a team in Central Java in 2023. The EU, together with the ILO, continues to promote decent work for fishers and foster a more equitable and sustainable blue economy.
Following the launch, the Joint Inspection Team is scheduled to participate in the ILO’s Participatory Action-Oriented Training on Occupational Safety and Health at Tarakan Fishing Port on September 10. The training provides practical, low-cost solutions to enhance safety, health, productivity, and overall working conditions in fishing workplaces, further reinforcing the province’s commitment to protecting its workforce and advancing sustainable fisheries.
