Today marks an exciting milestone with the launch of IKAN: WorkSmart Edition, a free mobile application developed for Indonesian migrant fishers working on Taiwan-flagged vessels.

Many Indonesian migrant fishers depart for work with limited access to information regarding recruitment processes, working conditions at sea, wage systems, and their rights as workers. In many cases, the conditions they encounter differ significantly from their expectations.

In response to these challenges,Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative,Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions,Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University,The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and FiftyEight collaborated to develop IKAN: WorkSmart Edition as an accessible source of information and practical resources for workers before and during their employment at sea.

The application includes:

✅ ⁠Information on recruitment and pre-departure preparation

✅ ⁠Digital document storage

✅⁠ ⁠Know Your Rights materials

✅⁠ ⁠Information on workers’ rights and responsibilities

✅⁠ ⁠Guidance on working and living conditions on board

✅⁠ ⁠Access to assistance and grievance-related information

✅ ⁠and several features that can also be accessed offline

We believe there is real urgency in improving access to information and support services for migrant fishers, particularly amid ongoing concerns related to labor exploitation in the fishing industry. IKAN is built to incentivise all actors in the supply chain, from recruiters to retailers, to operate with greater transparency and accountability.

The app is available free of charge and can be downloaded here or learn more at ikanapp.com

We would also like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to civil society organisations, labor unions, and migrant fisher communities that contributed valuable support, input, and collaboration throughout the development of the application:

• Indonesian Migrant Workers Union (SBMI)

• Indonesian Transport Crew Union (SAKTI)

• Indonesian Fisheries Workers Union (SPPI)

• Pejuang Suara Pelaut (PSP)

• United Fisheries Crew Union of North Sulawesi (SAKTI Sulut)

• Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)

• Migrant fisher communities in Central Java and North Sulawesi

The contributions and collaboration of these various stakeholders have been invaluable in supporting the development of this application.