Jermal Off The Coast Of Tanjungtiram, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

A jermal, or fishing platform perched precariously on long stilts, sits in the shallow seas off Northern Sumatra in the waters of Indonesia. There are approximately 1,000 such platforms with more than 5,000 children (ages 10 - 17) at work on them. The jermals are not much larger than a tennis court, 15 to 50 km off the coast, sitting a few meters above the waves. Perhaps 10 workers live on each, half or more of whom are children. The minimum stay is three months on the jermal. There is little safety equipment, and living amenities and sanitation is minimal. The work is extremely hazardous, abusive and sometimes lethal, as many of the children are unable to swim and either fall off the platforms or are get caught in the netting and are dragged into the water. The work of lifting heavy nets filled with teri, small anchovy-like fish, may last between 12 and 20 hours a day. The child workers also sort the teri from stinging jellyfish or sea snakes, then boil, salt, and dry the catch.