The Truth about IUU Fishing's Psychological Warfare
Within the open ocean, where the horizon stretches endlessly in all directions, lies a secret. It's a secret that hides in the shadows of the technicalities of IUU (Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated) fishing: the toll it takes on the human mind. While the focus often rests on the political and legal implications of IUU fishing, the mental health of those who have to stay at sea for months or years on end without docking is often forgotten. It's time to think about the actual humans behind this issue and confront the insanity born from isolation at sea.
Picture this: the deep sea liner Luang U 2682 left the harbor in 2011 (Mango). Originally set on a two-year journey from China to South America, this squid ship embarked on a trip that would become a spiral into madness. Led by Captain Li Chengquan, 33 lives set sail, and yet only 11 came back.
Life aboard the Luang U 2682 was a constant cycle of torture and despair. For about 16 hours per day, 6 days a week, the crew was consumed by everything squid: catching, cutting, and freezing. Squid ink covered every inch of the boat, and the scent of urine tainted the very air they breathed due to the high levels of ammonia in the squid. Additionally, dead squids let out a tea-kettle-like hissing noise that infiltrates every crew member’s ear. The only outlet was chainsmoking, using cigarettes sold at exorbitant prices by the company that owned their souls.
The crew members turned to violence once they realized the cracks in their contracts. The fine print said: that if they caught no squid, they would be guaranteed 45,000 Yuan per year. However, if they caught any squid they would get the base pay plus commission, meaning they would only be paid around 12,000 Yuan per year.
Betrayal spread through every crew member, not in management. The ship became a real-life Hunger Games, with crew members killing each other through multiple stabbings or by throwing each other overboard, leaving their bloody bodies to be hunted by festering sharks in the water.
The story of the Luang U 2682 is a chilling reminder of the human cost of IUU fishing. Behind the politics lies human life, and mental health destroyed by the unforgiving sea. Yet, this is not an isolated incident. There are more than 1.5 million seafarers, with more than 6% of the 17,000 deaths studied between 1960 and 2009, being suicides (this number would most likely be higher amongst IUU fishing) (Kim). This rate has only increased and is severely underreported since suicides are forced to be considered accidents because the company might not pay “death benefits” to the mourning family.
Studies have shown that 26% of seafarers show signs of depression (again, this would be higher amongst IUU fishing), yet the maritime industry remains unprepared to address these issues (Kim). Too often, the mental toll of life at sea is swept under the rug, deemed a necessary sacrifice for world trade.
But at what cost? How many more lives must be lost before we acknowledge the insanity of our systems? It's time to shine a light on this dark issue, only then can we hope to chart a course towards a safer, more humane future for all work at sea.
In the end, the true horror of IUU fishing lies not in the depths of the ocean, but in the depths of the human soul. Until we confront this reality, the sea will continue to claim its toll, leaving behind only madness and despair.
