Slavery at sea: human trafficking in the fishing industry exposed
In the second of a two-part series on modern-day slavery, Sarah Lazarus looks at how labourers are duped into working in a cruel and sometimes deadly fishing industry
Human trafficking is rife in the fishing industry. The pathway from ocean to dinner plate is rarely linear. Instead, fishing companies, transportation firms, processing plants, exporters and distributors form a complex web that often shrouds an appalling truth - that the seafood we buy was caught by men working as slaves.
Many fishing boats in Asian waters are floating sweatshops, crewed by men who were forced or deceived into climbing aboard by modern-day press gangs. Out on the high seas it's impossible for them to seek help or to escape. Located in some of the most remote regions in the world, their vessels operate without scrutiny.
As fish stocks diminish, and demand for seafood increases, fishing companies - driven by greed and facilitated by systemic corruption - flout both employment laws and environmental regulations. Exploited workers encounter a spectrum of abuses ranging from overwork and underpayment, to violence, torture and execution-style killings at sea.
SEE ALSO: Part one of Post Magazine's series on modern-day slavery
On Wednesday, Trust Forum Asia, organised by Thomson Reuters and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, will take place at the Asia Society. Post Magazine spoke to delegates who are working to bring hidden atrocities to light and combat slavery in the fishing industry.
