Forced Labour in the Seafood Industry
When you are enjoying a lovely piece of salmon or snapper, being locked on a boat with your identity and worldly possessions confiscated from you sounds like a pretty far-fetched situation.
Yet it is a story that is echoed constantly by people who have been tricked into forced labour on boats, working as fishers. Vito, a Cambodian farmer who was trafficked in the Thai fishing industry, said he ended up as “nothing, less than a ghost”, after being trapped on a fishing boat for over a year, never receiving his payment. Unfortunately, seafood caught by people like Vito can end up on our plates in Australia.
The careful purchase of seafood based on ethical and environmental considerations can reduce the risk of our seafood having been caught with forced labour. It just requires a little bit of education and mindful purchasing by consumers.
What types of seafood are best?
There are some types of seafood that are more responsible options for your table. This can come down to how the fish are caught in mass volumes, the natural abundance of the fish, or the ecological impact of the fishery on its local ecosystem. Good Fish has a helpful Sustainable Seafood guide for which seafood you think is the best choice, and which options to ‘say no’ to.
Seafood Certifications
When buying seafood, look out for certifications that signify effort to reduce environmental harm or the use of modern slavery in production.