US IUU Fishing & Labor Rights Coalition

The International Labour Organization launched the findings of its first ever Survey on #DecentWork in #Marine #Fishing in #Jakarta today, in collaboration with the Indonesian Research and Innovation Agency. The findings of the survey are published in the report: Understanding Working Conditions of Fishers in #Indonesia, Evidence from the 2024 Survey on Decent Work in Marine Fishing. The launch was attended by representatives of Indonesian tripartite constituents and broader stakeholders in the Indonesian fishing sector. "The report that is launched today provided evidence-based findings that show there is room for improvement to create decent work onboard Indonesian fishing vessels. At the same time, the report shows some good measures taken by the Indonesian government, workers as well as #employers' organizations to start addressing the challenges. All together should be seen as reflective knowledge that can guide Indonesia towards a more vibrant fishing industry with stronger labour protection for #workers in the sector.", Simrin Singh, the ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, said. ?? Link to the Report - https://lnkd.in/emZSMapS #fishing Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation ILO PARTNERSHIPS Simrin Singh ILO's Bureau for Workers ‘Activities (ACTRAV) ILO Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP)

"Everyone should be concerned about the fate of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) right now. Current employees are certainly alarmed—not only for their jobs but also for the crucial work they do in the name of science and public safety."

"We can’t afford to weaken public service agencies that help us prepare for weather disasters, particularly as climate change drives fiercer winter storms, produces conditions of drought and deluge, and fuels more powerful hurricanes and fierce winds that fan wildfires," writes Julie Packard in defense of NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

New Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) report draws Indonesian and Filipino crew member testimony, suggesting "that concerted efforts were made to hide the presence of North Koreans on these vessels, and that those North Koreans on board were forced to work for as many as 10 years at sea - in some instances without ever stepping foot on land." The report continues: "This would constitute forced labour of a magnitude that surpasses much of that witnessed in a global fishing industry already replete with abuse. The use of North Korean labour occurs within the broader context of a Chinese distant-water fishing fleet that is blighted by IUU fishing and forced labour." https://lnkd.in/eePzKXbm

Thank you Senator Reed for highlighting the many ways NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration touches our lives (and a bonus TY for the URI Graduate School of Oceanography plug, RI truly is an ocean science powerhouse). I, and many others, rely on NOAA every day. NOAA's value is perhaps most tangible through our daily weather forecasts and storm alerts. Because of NOAA's National Weather Service, I can access weather forecasts with no paywall or subscription fee wherever I get my weather information. As a taxpayer, this service costs me $4 per year--a pretty great return on investment if you ask me. Perhaps less tangible are the ways NOAA data and employees inform businesses and communities across the country. Beach towns, like my hometown of Carlsbad CA, rely on NOAA's coastal monitoring to ensure waters are safe to swim in and local seafood is safe to harvest and eat. When I rent a kayak to explore La Jolla cove the shop I rent from is watching the tides and making recommendations based on data from NOAA's tide gauges at Scripps Pier. Farther from the coasts, farmers rely on NOAA's weather and climate forecasts to plan their growing season. Hunters and backcountry sportsmen and women rely on these weather predictions to plan their trips and keep tabs on changing conditions. Families in the Great Lakes rely on NOAA's Harmful algal bloom monitoring and mitigation efforts to keep their public waters safe and healthy. Odds are you have purchased many items that were shipped across an ocean before they made their way to you. NOAA plays an important role in maritime trade too. Regardless of where you live, NOAA touches your life. Attempts to fire NOAA's employees en masse, censor climate science or close down offices and programs at the agency are direct attacks on the services I, and many others, rely on every day. So thank you Senator Reed for speaking in defense of NOAA today and truly championing Ocean State values. If you belong to an organization or business who does not want to lose access to NOAA's services or see the agency dismantled please consider joining nearly 500 businesses and organization on this letter in defense of NOAA: https://lnkd.in/eZHbES_5 https://lnkd.in/eD9Dvrdg

??The mass firings today at NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration are a national disaster and a colossal waste of money. ?Destroying NOAA’s ability to provide life-saving information, keep our ocean healthy, and strengthen the economy makes no sense—no sense at all.?NOAA is a lean agency, with highly skilled, impressively dedicated people --I know because I have worked with them for years.?We need them; all of them.?

"Undermining NOAA’s operations could risk the safety of millions of Americans and destabilize countless industries, from farming and fisheries to energy and finance, threatening job losses and economic downturn." Read the full letter, signed by ~400 stakeholders, calling on Congress to protect NOAA ??

Richard (Rick) Spinrad on threats to gut NOAA:

Earthjustice is calling?on Congress to push back on the Trump administration’s attack on critical agencies. Federal agencies are responsible for making fair, fact-based policy decisions that protect our health, safety, and the environment. Join Earthjustice by calling your congressional representative: https://lnkd.in/eaTfS-TQ

USAID has had bipartisan support for decades-since 1961. Yet on this #PresidentsDay we’re fighting for this vital organization and its lifesaving work as the president has brutally dismantled it, putting millions of lives at risk. Let’s take a walk down memory lane of what Presidents of the past have said about foreign aid.