Imagine working 22 hours a day on board a distant-water fishing vessel. It’s grueling work; lifting heavy nets in and out of the water, wrangling whatever is caught from the depths of the ocean — it could be fish, sharks, or whales, but you were given no training or supplies. Your passport and ID documents were confiscated, and you are denied clean water to drink and bathe. You do not have access to medical care when you are hurt or sick. You are yelled at and beaten daily, have no way to communicate with your loved ones, and are completely cut off from the world, sometimes not seeing land for months or years at a time. You are trapped, living a nightmare at sea.
Think this doesn’t happen today? Think again.
This is the experience of many caught in the web of human trafficking and forced labor on industrial fishing vessels, thousands of miles from land. They are catching seafood that ends up on American plates, sold in restaurants, cafeterias, and grocery stores.
In May 2026, four of these former fishers from Indonesia teamed up with the U.S. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Labor Rights Coalition (of which Oceana is a member) to travel across the oceans again — but this time to the United States to share their stories and advocate for fishers’ rights.
The Fishers
Resi Yulianto describes himself plainly as a survivor of human trafficking and forced labor. After paying recruitment fees to obtain work, his salary was withheld and he returned home in debt, which devastated his family. Today, Resi channels that experience into advocacy: “From my experience being a victim then I decided to fight for and defend others like me.”
Rizky Oktaviana worked aboard a trawling vessel more than a decade ago that was later impounded for illegal fishing. Along with his crewmates, he endured forced labor, experienced human trafficking, and has never received compensation for his abusive 18 months at sea. Since then, Rizky has dedicated his life to fighting for fishers’ rights — ensuring that others are not silenced or forgotten.
Adrian Dogdodo Basar is a former industrial tuna fisherman who fell into debt bondage to secure a job at sea. In 2023, he witnessed a friend die after being denied proper medical care. When Adrian spoke out, he faced punishment. Today, he supports other fishers who have experienced forced labor, turning his trauma into advocacy and solidarity for those still at risk.
Hariyanto Suwarno not only experienced abuse at sea himself as an industrial fisher, but he has led the Union of Indonesian Migrant Workers (SBMI) since 2015. Under his leadership, the union has advocated for Indonesian migrant workers globally, and across sectors. He has helped defend the rights of migrant workers, and secured approximately $4 million USD in unpaid wages for fishers through insurance and contractual obligations.
Sharing Their Voice, Advocating For Change
The fishers and advocates gathered in Washington, D.C. for a series of events to spotlight the human cost of seafood, the devastation of IUU fishing, as well as the urgent need for reform.
On May 11, Greenpeace USA hosted a lunch & learn for staff members of the coalition to hear directly from the former fishers. This session created a meaningful forum for the visiting fishers to connect directly with advocates — including Oceana’s illegal fishing and transparency campaign team — around a shared commitment: improving safety and labor conditions at sea. The gathering fostered dialogue, strengthened collaboration across the coalition, and laid the groundwork for coordinated advocacy.
The following day at a congressional briefing hosted by the coalition and led by Greenpeace USA titled “Nightmare at Sea,” the fishers relayed their personal experiences to educate Congress about the reality — and tragedies — of what happens beyond the horizon at sea. The event brought the Indonesian fishers-turned-advocates together with policymakers, congressional staff, and experts to share firsthand accounts of their own labor abuse on distant-water fishing vessels.
Representative James Moylan of Guam joined the briefing and delivered remarks alongside the fishers. He underscored concern for human rights at sea, the need to stop illegal fishing, and strengthen detection and monitoring programs to prevent seafood from forced labor from ending up on American plates. As Representative Moylan said, “Forced labor is modern-day slavery — and it has to end.”
The stories shared were both powerful and sobering — detailing exploitation, coercion, and the lack of accountability that too often defines life aboard industrial fishing vessels operating far from public view.
Their stories reveal systemic issues — from recruitment abuses and wage theft to denial of medical care and retaliation for speaking out. They also reinforced the link between illegal fishing and labor exploitation. Operations that evade fisheries regulations and oversight often also evade labor laws, enabling exploitation of workers on vessels.
Adrian, Rizky, Resi, and Hariyanto had additional meetings with congressional offices and government officials during their visit to share their stories and the realities of what happens at sea. Their visit to the U.S. demonstrated the power of survivor leadership in driving change.
The Change Needed to End Illegal Fishing, Human Trafficking on the High Seas
In all, the week of advocacy supported a broader push for stronger transparency and traceability in seafood supply chains. It also elevated survivor voices and strengthened partnerships. The events showed the need for robust protections for workers at sea and stronger enforcement against illegal fishing.
The stories shared during “Nightmare at Sea” are not isolated — they reflect patterns that persist across parts of the global fishing industry. Ending these abuses will require coordinated action and U.S. leadership: from policymakers enacting and enforcing stronger protections, to companies ensuring clean supply chains, to continued public education and amplification of fisher voices.
Over the next several weeks, you’ll read more about these fisher’s personal journeys from bondage to advocacy and how, together, we can ensure a better future for fishers and our oceans.
