ABSTRACT
Temporary migration creates opportunities for individuals, households and states (Oke 2012). In recognition of this, in Australia increasing numbers of migrant workers from Southeast Asia are being granted temporary visas to undertake short-term or seasonal work, particularly in health care, construction and the mineral resources sector (Kukoc 2012). This chapter focuses specifically on the nature of temporary migration flows in Australia and some of the political hurdles that underpin Australia’s temporary migration programmes. We focus on temporary migration in one industry in particular, namely the Australian commercial fishing industry. In comparison with other industries that employ large numbers of migrant workers in Australia, the Australian fishing industry does not attract a significant number of overseas workers. This is partly related to the fact that issues involving temporary migration and fishing such as people smuggling and the boarding of asylum seekers on Indonesian fishing boats have become heavily politicised in Australia. Media references to a ‘crisis’ in Australia’s northern border protection - which includes the deterrence of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, people smuggling, and other criminal or even potentially terrorist activities - are now commonplace.
