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Slavery at Sea

Recently we hosted a discussion night about the sustainability of fish consumption, which we have briefly covered in a previous blog post. However, during the event we had a very insightful conversation with a representative from Compassion in World Farming. It drew our attention towards the ethics of the fishing industry and not the usual ethical issues you may first consider. This dialogue was not about the ethical implications to fish but of the ethical implications for those people working to provide the fish on our plates.


Before reading further, I will warn you that the subject matter is a very difficult and sensitive issue. It was not easy to write.


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The fishing industry is one of the sectors through which modern day slavery is realised. Workers can be trapped into forced manual labour and physically restrained at sea, for sometimes years, unknown to any authorities worldwide.


Before we get into the details of this horrific and alarmingly common problem, we must ask - why does it exist at all?


According to the Global Salvery Index, the mass demand for cheap fish incentivises those higher up in the industry to cut as many costs as possible. This usually means cutting labour costs from already very little, to nothing.


Not only is the demand for cheap fish insatiably high, but the seas are already over-fished with concerning declines in fish stocks from historically unsustainable practices. Together these circumstances create a demand for free labour, in an already low-profit and labour-intensive industry.


How on earth can this even be an option, how can it happen?


In a horrific turn of events, vulnerable young men - or even boys as young as 15, who are looking for work beyond the limited opportunities of their home countries, are attracted by traffickers to the prospect of seemingly legitimate employment opportunities in the fishing industry. Their desperation for sufficient work and pay means that traffickers exploit their willingness to move countries for work. The men are then trafficked across borders in a “travel now, pay back later” scenario. Before realising the situation, they are illegally in another country only holding onto the promise of work to overcome these circumstances. But this is no work.


In many anecdotes men have detailed situations in which they are trapped either by physical restraint or by guards with arms, who urge them aboard. And, once aboard they remain trapped, they owe money to their captain for their transport and must repay this debt. Even if men are paid for their labour, many remain trapped on board, but now by fear of violence or fear of death by drowning or in some cases physically restrained by shackles.


Many do not even know the language of their new “employers”, nor have seen the sea, let alone know how to swim.


The reality of the situation is very grim. Working hours (18+ hours) are beyond excessive in completely unsafe conditions - soaring temperatures and insufficient food and water. Men are often barefoot on decks that are slippery from water and fish innards, commonly working through the night near unsafe and unregulated heavy machinery. This horrifying combination too frequently results in infected wounds and broken or lost fingers. Sleep may only come in 2 hour stints, in hot cramped and loud conditions as many men are crammed in hammocks near to the engine. There are no loos. 1 measly meal a day and beatings from the captain for any foot out of line are not unheard of.


Captains will use amphetamines to keep men conscious for long working hours.


I recently read Emperors of the Deep: The Ocean’s Most Mysterious, Misunderstood and Important Guardians by William McKeever. Chapter 9 is entitled Human Trafficking at Sea. Mckeever had the sobering opportunity to speak with some men who have had this heart-breaking experience. He talks about the similarities in many men’s stories of being “kidnapped, dragged, beaten and taken to sea”. Of the fishermen who risk death to escape boats. Of men subject to beatings - in one case a captain used a stingray tail. Of men being hidden from authorities in freezers until their fingers fall off. Mckeever morbidly recalls circumstances of seemingly perpetual servitude, laced with back-breaking work and daily beatings.


“With so many fish stocks in decline, it is now costlier and more difficult for fishing companies to turn a profit. As a result, they have been looking for ways to cut costs, which unfortunately means not paying workers a living wage or providing them with adequate food or water. For some, it means not paying workers at all” - pg 179

“Tuna is cheap and it’s cheap for a reason. The labor behind the fishing is free” - pg 182

There is not enough documentation of the occurrence of this slavery and you can only imagine why it is so hard to get the information. But investigative efforts in Thailand found that between 2011 and 2016: “76% of migrant workers in the Thai fishing industry had been held in debt bondage and almost 38% had been trafficked into the Thai fishing industry”


I must stress that this is the situation in many countries, not only Thailand.


There is no way out for those trapped in this situation - those in charge have been known to shackle, maim and murder those who step out of line.


“Sea slaves in floating labour camps” - NY Times

How is this possible?


In the high seas outside of national jurisdictions, little regulation is made or is possible. Ships can remain at sea for long periods of time, without any monitoring. Because of a process known as transshipment, ships can remain at sea for extended amounts of time - from months to years, as smaller vessels transport goods like fuel, food and of course fish, between the shore and sea. Even people are transferred between vessels and held at sea in the same way, outside the reach of law. In fact, it’s not just a transfer of people between boats for free labour, people are sold.


These ships can be called “ghost ships” - unregistered in any country, selling their fish onto larger recognised vessels.


As if the situation isn’t disturbing enough, in some cases, when an opportunity for freedom arises and workers seek refuge with police officers in a dock, they may be resold to a different captain.


In an equally distressing scenario, men can be left on “prison islands” (uninhabited atolls) for weeks, whilst captains take their ships to port for repair before being brought back on board to work.


Even if boats pass near to shore, many of the men cannot swim to safety.


“I never thought I would see land again” - Mr Long, 3 years of captivity at sea

The present unsustainability of global fish consumption enables this horror and is completely unacceptable. It is a despicable disregard for human rights and there must be greater measures to protect people from this terror. The fishing industry must have greater transparency over the source of their produce. It was only a few years ago that Tescos, Morrisons, Co-Op, Aldi, Iceland and other large UK supermarkets, had to investigate the source of their prawns after investigations found that their prawns were caught by the hands of trafficked slave-labourers. The Guardian covered this investigation in detail and you can read about it in the resources linked at the bottom of this article.


But it’s not only journalism efforts that know this exists, Nature, an esteemed scientific journal shared their findings in 2018.


I know many people aim to eat responsibly sourced fish, but it is not only the fish we directly consume, this industry provides for pet food too. It also provides fish to feed farmed fish - a significant proportion of Scottish salmon.


The cycle of abuse that exists within the fishing industry is disturbing and unjust. We must be aware of where our food has come from and do everything we can to choose responsibly, call for transparency in the industry and make a stand against such a horrific act of violence that has no place in this world.


Thank you for taking the time to read this blogpost and learn about the issues at hand, we recognise the subject is not as light-hearted as some of our other themes, but it is essential to disseminate this information.


References:


Guardian articles:

 
 
 

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