Taiwan’s fisheries regulator has answered NGO claims of forced labor in its fishing fleet through a statement issued to SeafoodSource.

Noting the attention NGOs have brought to the abuse of foreign workers aboard Taiwanese fishing vessels, the Taiwan Fisheries Agency said in its statement it has “endeavored to improve the protection of the rights and benefits of the crew members through institutional guarantees.”

In its statement, the agency also said it has amended its Standard Operation Procedures for Reporting and Processing Cases of Foreign Crew Members Employed Overseas Onboard Distant-Water Fishing Vessels Suspected of Violating Human Trafficking Prevention Act. Likewise, it said it is “strengthening the inspection and crew interviews in domestic and foreign ports.”

The agency provided no additional details to SeafoodSource on the scale of these inspections, but it said it is drafting an “Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights,” which it said will ensure wages are paid on time and time sheets kept. It said it will also work to strengthen the management of the foreign worker hiring process throughout the Taiwanese fishing industry. Yet the agency also stated elsewhere that its actions are limited because recruiting agents are often based in other countries that do not provide adequate oversight of the practice.