Strengthening the Legal Protection of Female Workers in Marine Fisheries—A Chinese Perspective

Abstract

China is a large State with a large population and an enormous fishing industry. The marine fishery labour force represents a significant proportion of Chinese labour market share. Due to the special nature of working in marine fisheries, female workers have long represented a significant proportion of the workforce but have been undervalued or even recognised. So far, there has been little research on the protection of female workers’ rights in this field. In 2017, the Secretary-General of the United Nations presented the issue of people on the ocean in a special chapter within the Oceans and the Law of the Sea Report, highlighting the protection of women’s rights in the field of marine fisheries. There is evidence that this issue has already attracted the attention of the international community. Studying the issue of female workers’ protection in this field encourages the standardisation of the marine fishery labour market, thus promoting sound future development. As a result, this article tries to address the necessity for the legal protection of female workers in the field of marine fishery, through an analysis of the evolution of the marine fishery labour force and the current situation as regards the issue of human rights. To date, there is still a lack of effective protection of women’s rights in marine fisheries, especially through legal means, which requires to be addressed.