Da Wang: The first human trafficking court case involving a Taiwanese-owned FOC vessel. Kaohsiung District Court Trial Observation — Call for Participation

■ Time:
Monday, May 18, 2026, 2:20 p.m.

■ Location:
Criminal Court, Courtroom 4, Kaohsiung District Court
1F, No. 188, Hedong Road, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City

■ Key Issues for Court Observation and Case Background:
The fishing vessel Da Wang is the first non-Taiwanese flag of convenience vessel involving Taiwanese investment to be indicted for human trafficking and brought into judicial proceedings in Taiwan.

This case arose from a serious fatal incident on a distant-water fishing vessel in June 2019. The Da Wang, a flag of convenience vessel invested in by Taiwanese nationals and registered in Vanuatu, was the site of a violent incident in which Indonesian fisher Sunoto died after being struck on the back of the head by a Taiwanese chief officer. According to Greenpeace’s report Seabound: The Journey to Modern Slavery on the High Seas, other fishers on board were also subjected to forced labor conditions, including excessive working hours and wage deductions.

In 2020, the Da Wang docked in Taiwan, and a Filipino fisher on the same vessel, Manny, sought protection from the Taiwanese government. He was later identified as a victim of human trafficking.

In 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a Withhold Release Order against seafood harvested by the Da Wang. In the same year, Taiwan’s fishing industry was listed for the first time by the U.S. Department of Labor on its List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor, alongside products such as cotton from Xinjiang.

After years of investigation, the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office indicted nine individuals, including the vessel owner and captain, in 2022. However, despite the indictment, the first-instance proceedings in the Da Wang human trafficking case have yet to conclude. Four years later, in mid-May 2026, the case will finally proceed to a preparatory hearing.

We welcome all those concerned with the Taiwan-U.S. trade agreement, distant-water fishers, business and human rights, forced labor, and seafood supply chain issues to join this court observation.

■ For more information on the Da Wang case, please see the reference materials below.

大旺號，首次權宜船成為人口販運司法案件。高雄地院法庭觀察，動員通知！

■ 時間：
2026年05月18日（一）下午2點20分

■ 地點：
高雄地方法院刑事庭第四法庭（高雄市前金區河東路188號1樓）

■ 法庭觀察看點與案件背景說明：
大旺號漁船，是台灣首次有非我籍的權宜船，被以人口販運罪起訴並進入司法程序。

這是發生於2019年6月的重大遠洋漁船海上喋血案，臺灣人投資並登記在萬那杜的權宜船「大旺號」，爆發印尼籍漁工 Sunoto 遭台灣籍大副攻擊後腦致死，根據綠色和平的報告「海上奴役」指出，其他漁工也遭到包括超時工作與苛扣薪資等強迫勞動的情事。大旺號於2020年靠岸台灣，同船菲籍漁工 Manny 向台灣政府尋求庇護，並被鑑定為人口販運受害者。

2020年美國海關（CBP）對大旺號下達漁獲暫扣令（WRO），台灣漁業也被美國勞工部首度列入「童工與強迫勞動製品清單」，與新疆棉齊名。高雄地檢署經過多年的調查，終於在 2022 年起訴船東、船長等 9 人。起訴後經過漫長的等待，大旺號人口販運案連一審都還沒結束，4年後的2026年5月中終於迎來本案的準備程序。

歡迎更多關注台美貿易協定、遠洋漁工、企業人權責任、強迫勞動、以及海鮮供應鍊議題的朋友們，一起參與法庭觀察。

■ 更多大旺號相關的資訊，請見下方參考資料