Washington D.C., (December 10, 2024)—Four fishing vessels that supplied tuna to major US brand Bumble Bee are linked to forced labor and illegal fishing practices, according to a new report published today, UN Human Rights Day. The report, “Seabound 3: Netting Profits, Risking Lives: The Unresolved Human and Environmental Exploitation at Sea,” highlights that four vessels–Chaan Ying, Guan Wang, Shin Lian Fa No. 168, and Sheng Ching Fa No. 96– have supplied Bumble Bee tuna over multiple trips and across several years, indicating a longstanding relationship between the tuna brand and these vessels.
The finding comes from an investigation into forced labor indicators and illegal fishing practices in the Taiwanese distant water fishing industry, conducted by Greenpeace Southeast Asia in collaboration with SBMI (The Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia).
In one of the documented cases, Firman (not his real name), a fisher on the Chaan Ying, reported working up to 12 hours per day, sometimes after just 3-4 hours of sleep at night under harsh conditions such as storms, while subsisting on a diet that consisted mainly of expired, rotten food, rice, and some shark hauled in as bycatch. Firman also alleges that when he became ill and fainted multiple times, he was not granted access to professional medical care. Instead, the captain administered “green medicine,” a “medicine” indiscriminately administered onboard for all ailments. Firman further reports that despite his condition, his recruitment agency pressured him to remain on board and continue working. Tuna caught by Firman and others on board the Chaan Ying was found in a can of Bumble Bee tuna in a supermarket in Maine.
Sari Heidenreich, Senior Human Rights Advisor, Global Fisheries, Greenpeace US, said: “The fact that tuna caught with forced labor is still entering the US and making unsuspecting American consumers complicit in these reported abuses, reveals that the current import measures are not fit for purpose. As NOAA works on a new proposed rule for the Seafood Import Monitoring Program in 2025, we hope to see the expansion to all species, pre-entry screening, and the inclusion of forced labor indicators, end up in the final rule.
Heidenreich, continued: “The overlap between illegal labor practices and illegal fishing practices is shown through the reports by these fishers. This is no surprise. The push for overfishing, modern slavery at sea, and shark finning all come from the same source: exploitation in the name of profits. Businesses, like Bumble Bee and other tuna brands, need to own up to their responsibility and the role they play in this industry. They need to actively engage with upstream suppliers to ensure there are real grievance mechanisms in place as well as working with them to install wifi aboard vessels.”
Arifsyah Nasution, Global Beyond Seafood Campaign Lead for Greenpeace International, said: “As Bumble Bee neither publishes a vessel list nor any public information on their grievance policy, what our research uncovered is likely the tip of the iceberg. Therefore, Greenpeace will continue doing these investigations to uncover the murky side of the seafood supply chain and advocate for a more fair, just, and sustainable global seafood industry for the sake of fishers, consumers, and our ocean’s future.”
In addition to forced labor complaints, fishers on three of these vessels, the Guan Wang, Chaan Ying, and Sheng Ching Fa No. 96, reported that the longline hooks used in their operations indiscriminately hooked sharks as well. While some were kept to supplement the fishers’ meager rations, some species were hauled in only to be finned before being thrown back into the ocean to bleed to death slowly. Shark finning is illegal in Taiwan, though inadequate enforcement allows it to continue.
Tommy Chung, ocean campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia Taipei office, said: “The exploitation revealed in this report underscores systemic issues in Taiwan’s distant water fishing industry. Forced labor and illegal fishing practices harm workers and undermine efforts to uphold ethical and sustainable fishing practices in Taiwan. Bumble Bee’s parent company, Taiwan’s FCF, controls one of the largest tuna trading networks in the world, sourcing from hundreds of vessels and holding significant influence over the supply chain. FCF must take responsibility by addressing these abuses and conducting thorough due diligence to ensure its operations meet international labor and environmental standards.”
Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA
(+1) 703-342-9226, [email protected]
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
