Peer-reviewed article

Eradicating Child Labour in Indonesian Fisheries to Protect Children’s Rights

Titik Suharti · 21 Feb 2026

Abstract

Children are the future of a nation, but data shows that there is still a high prevalence of child labour in Indonesia’s fisheries sector. Child laborers often did not receive the rights which guaranteed by both National Law (Child Protection Law and Labour Law) and International Law. Indonesian law has expressly prohibited the employment of a child. The problem of child labour is still a problem for the Indonesian fisheries sector and several other countries. By using normative research methods and a statute approach, this study examines two things. First, how is the legal protection for child labour in the fisheries sector in Indonesia. Second, legal efforts that can be taken by Indonesia to eradicate child labour in the fisheries sector. The results of the study show that Indonesian Law (Child Protection Law and Labour Law) prohibits anyone from employing children. Legal protection that can be carried out against child labour in the fisheries sector is by eradicating child labour in Indonesia with several legal efforts such as regulating administrative sanctions in the form of revocation of business permits including fishing permits for vessels employing child labour; establishing criminal sanctions for parents who allow or order their children to work; criminal sanctions for vessel captains; increasing supervision of the implementation of related regulations; and establishing international cooperation with other countries such as countries importing Indonesian fishery products, flag countries of vessels where Indonesian fishing crews work, or with countries that also have child labour problems.