They were lucky. Their bodies washed ashore a few days later. Child labor was not a major concern for Indonesian authorities for decades, though Jakarta seems to have woken up to the problem since the fall of former president Suharto. The government last April finally ratified the 1973 Minimum Age Convention of the International Labor Organization. In October, the ILO, which has long targeted jermal kids as a priority concern, and Indonesian authorities will to start working together to get children off the fishing platforms and keep them off.
Operators say their days are numbered for economic reasons.
The repair and maintenance cost is too big. Jermals can only operate for five more years. But five years can be a lifetime for a child trapped on a jermal in the middle of the sea. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you.