Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for PT Ocean Jaya Samudra.
The email said: "My name is Ian Urbina and I’m the director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a journalism non-profit based in Washington D.C. that publishes stories about human rights and environmental issues connected with the sea. I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation and a link we’ve discovered between abuses on board a vessel owned by the Chinese fishery company, Rongcheng Wangdao Ocean Aquatic Products, and your manning agency.
In 2019, PT Ocean Jaya Samudra placed an Indonesian deckhand named Heri Kusmanto on a Chinese distant- water fishing ship owned by Rongcheng Wangdao, called the Zhen Fa 7. Kusmanto was transferred to the Fu Yuan Yu 7602 and brought to shore in Lima, Peru in August 2020 for urgent medical treatment. Crew members reported that Kusmanto was targeted by violence on the ship, and suffered from malnutrition. Can you answer a few questions for us about this case?
- Do you have a record of this person, Heri Kusmanto?
- Crew members have told us that they remember Kusmanto being beaten by Chinese crew members on board the Zhen Fa 7. Were you aware of this treatment?
- Can you explain why other deckhands say that Kusmanto wasn't allowed to leave the ship when he first became sick?
- Can you confirm whether Kusmanto had to pay a financial penalty for breaking his contract early?"
The agency responded with an unsigned email saying they didn't understand the questions because the crew have been home for a long time and there are no problems.
The Outlaw Ocean Project reiterated the initial questions and asked if the manning agency had any record of Heri Kusmanto.
The agency replied that when he was on the ship, he didn't want to take a shower or eat, he only ate instant noodles. It also said that people were stressed so Kusmanto was sent home, and all salary was paid. The email provided no further details.