Transnational immobile labor migrants confined on longline tuna fishing boats based out of Honolulu.

2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01214
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: アベ デヴィットキヨシ 金沢大学, 歴史言語文化学系, 准教授 (10735426)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Ethnography / Transnational studies / Labor migrants / Human rights

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

(1) archival research (2) interview with boat captains and crewmember. After I submitted the application for “Kiban-C grant” in October 2019, I continued examining the life experiences of boat captain, crew workers, and anyone in the longline tuna industry in Honolulu, Hawaii, based on interviews. In addition, I am in the process of making a contract for another monograph book with Palgrave Macmillan. These findings are documented and prepared for international conference when the situation of COVID-19 allow us to travel. On the whole, the project is progressing at a much higher pace than originally expected. The research has already created a solid basis by substantiating the connection between working in international waters, Maritime law, and exploitation.

Current Status of Research Progress

1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.

Reason

In the first year, I completed two task: (1) archival research (2) interview with boat captains and crewmember. After I submitted the application for “Kiban-C grant” in October 2019, I continued examining the life experiences of boat captain, crew workers, and anyone in the longline tuna industry in Honolulu, Hawaii, based on interviews. This preliminary research suggested that the relationship between the boat captains’ boat owners and the crewmembers is vital to the success in reducing unwanted labor exploitation among international labor migrants. Since the commencement of “Kiban-C” project in April 2020, the whole research project has advance to the next level. Further investigation utilizing Zoom software and telephone interviews substantiated another previous finding that boat owners are very much involved in many the decision making process both on land and out at sea. Therefore, the research reveals the majority of the boat owners’ use satellite phones to communicate with the captain on a daily basis to make crucial decision while out at sea. These findings are documented and prepared for international conference when the situation of COVID-19 allow us to travel. On the whole, the project is progressing at a much higher pace than originally expected. The research has already created a solid basis by substantiating the connection between working in international waters, Maritime law, and exploitation.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

The project plan is to return to research site (Honolulu harbor, out at sea). Additional amount of time is necessary at the Honolulu harbor, it has vast amount of research subject to interview, which, could take up to several weeks to uncover. This year I plan to investigate the local Hawaiians at Honolulu harbor, these are informants that are connected to longline tuna boat fishing community. These are, retired fishermen that visits the area because they have free time, workers from the auction, and local boat owners. In addition, I am in the process of making a contract for another monograph book with Palgrave Macmillan.

Causes of Carryover

Covid-19の発生が理由で、海外での現地調査を行えなかった為。