Big Asian economies like those in Taiwan, China, South Korea, and Singapore, heavily rely on foreign labor to move commodities and sustain their maritime economies. What draws foreign workers to positions on fishing vessels?

Work on fishing vessels is difficult, dirty, and dangerous. Entry-level positions may pay just US$550 to $600 per month for more than 12 hours of work each work day. Some workers will pay an agent up to $3,500 to secure the job for them, then pay them around $100 each month to keep it, meaning some will continue to work beyond their limits to repay that debt.

Beatrice Zani, sociologist and a permanent researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), joins Tristan for this episode to give listeners a better understanding of labor and migration in Asian maritime economies.