A newly published report by the Financial Transparency Coalition has unveiled extensive human rights abuses on nearly 500 industrial fishing vessels worldwide, with forced labour conditions reminiscent of slavery. The lack of transparency and regulatory oversight in the industry makes it challenging to identify those responsible for the abuses at sea. The research is considered the most comprehensive attempt to date to pinpoint companies operating vessels where tens of thousands of workers are trapped in unsafe conditions.
The report disclosed that 18% of the vessels suspected of abuse and whose ownership could be identified flew flags of convenience, a practice used by companies to evade scrutiny and conceal their shareholder structure. The study identified ZheJiang Hairong Ocean Fisheries Co. and Pingtan Marine Enterprises, both Chinese companies, as the worst offenders, with 10 and seven vessels, respectively, accused of human rights violations. A third company, China National Fisheries Corp, also faced allegations with five vessels.
Forced labour in the seafood industry is recognized as a widespread human rights crisis, affecting as many as 128,000 fishers globally. China, with a quarter of vessels suspected of abusing workers, tops the list, followed by vessels from Russia, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, and South Korea, all accused of mistreating fishers.
Despite increasing pressure on US and European companies to clean up supply chains in labour-intensive industries, the seafood sector has largely escaped similar scrutiny. The lack of tools for governments to regulate activities taking place far from land adds to the industry’s opacity. The report comes as the Biden administration abandons a planned expansion of the Seafood Import Monitoring Programme, which aims to prevent illegal fishing and forced labour on foreign vessels supplying a significant portion of the seafood consumed in the US.
The report sheds light on the urgent need for greater transparency and ownership disclosure in the fishing industry, emphasizing that forced labour and human rights abuses should not be tolerated for the sake of a seafood dinner. The obstacles to transparency include vessels being licensed by countries with reputations for financial secrecy and minimal oversight, contributing to the challenges in addressing and preventing human rights violations in the sector.
