Out at sea, migrant fishermen work far from the public eye. For years, human rights advocates have warned that this isolation makes them exceptionally vulnerable to debt bondage, physical control and forced labor. Now, the government is taking direct steps to identify and protect these exploited workers before they vanish into the shadows of the maritime economy. The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries issued updated national guidelines on Wednesday designed to help inspectors and law enforcement spot signs of human trafficking in the fishing industry. The revised framework addresses long-standing gaps, responding directly to recommendations from last year's U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report. Unlike land-based factory or farm environments, maritime labor presents unique challenges. Migrant crew members — often recruited from Southeast Asia — frequently face physical confinement on vessels, language barriers and an inability to access local support networks. Under the new rules, officials must look for subtle indicators of