During this session titled “Navigating Human Rights Due Diligence in Seafood Procurement: Challenges, Best Practices, and Next Steps,” Ashley Aarons, a senior private sector advisor for Oxfam US, cautioned participants about the growing risk of litigation against seafood companies. He highlighted that these companies may soon face increased legal scrutiny, particularly concerning incidents of forced labor at production and processing facilities, in addition to issues that have recently come to light in the media.
Earlier this month, four Indonesian fishermen filed a lawsuit against U.S. tuna company Bumble Bee Foods, claiming that they were subjected to forced labour on fishing vessels that supply the company’s widely recognized canned tuna. Additionally, about a year ago, French retailer Carrefour was named among companies sourcing seafood from Chinese processing facilities where members of the Uyghur ethnic minority were reportedly forcibly relocated and made to work against their will.
The session also brought FISHWISE and AQUASPAR – Seafoodtaskfore representatives to share how sourcing policies and retailers’ commitments are scaling the impact downstream in the tuna supply chain.
According to Marcelo Hidalgo, COO of the Fishing Industry Association of Papua New Guinea, the PNG tuna fleet is one of the largest and most diverse in the world, accounting for 18 % of global tuna catches (NFA 2024). Despite the challenge of managing a vast area dotted with numerous small islands, the PNG tuna industry has invested over two decades in developing a workforce strategy, with efforts intensifying since the lifting of COVID restrictions. FIA PNG engaged with Seafoodmatter to develop and implement a Social Accountability Due Diligence back in 2018 and together it was implemented in 2020. The Seafoodmatter due diligence is a combination of several tools to tackle human rights onboard fishing operation
“We realized that sustainability certification alone was not enough,” Hidalgo explained. “To improve transparency within governments, we became the first fleet to implement a real-time vessel monitoring system in collaboration with Global Fishing Watch. This allows everyone to see the locations of our fishing vessels and the duration of their stays.” While industry leaders adhere to International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions and undergo third-party assessments, Hidalgo acknowledged that there is “no single solution” to ensuring human rights due diligence.
For the full article go to the Global Seafood Alliance website and this link:
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