{"id":85489,"date":"2026-08-25T10:42:59","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T08:42:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/?p=85489"},"modified":"2026-08-25T10:43:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T08:43:04","slug":"greenpeace-voice-alarm-over-verdict-on-human-trafficking-onboard-fishing-vessel-call-for-justice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/international\/press-release\/85489\/greenpeace-voice-alarm-over-verdict-on-human-trafficking-onboard-fishing-vessel-call-for-justice\/","title":{"rendered":"Greenpeace voice alarm over verdict on human trafficking onboard fishing vessel, call for justice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Taiwan \u2014 <\/strong>Today, Taiwan\u2019s Kaohsiung District Court found the captain and chief officer not guilty in a case involving allegations of human trafficking and labor exploitation aboard Da Wang, a Taiwanese-owned, Vanuatu-flagged tuna fishing vessel that exported its fish globally.<\/p>\n\n

The case dates back to June 2019, when a 19-year-old Indonesian fisher, Sunoto, was reportedly struck in the back of the head while working aboard the Da Wang and was found dead in the cabin the following morning. Prosecutors in the case said the vessel\u2019s captain and first officer used violence and coercion to exploit migrant fishers aboard.<\/p>\n\n

Manny (pseudonym), a Filipino fisher who is also a victim and witness in the Da Wang forced labour case, said the verdict was deeply heartbreaking and disappointing to him. He said, \u201cThe captain assaulted and beat people on board every day. He was responsible for Sunoto\u2019s wrongful death and should be held accountable under the law. If there is an opportunity to appeal, I will appeal the case all the way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Shay Kuo, Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia\u2019s Taipei Office, said: \u201cDespite multiple testimonies and indications pointing to forced labour and violence aboard the vessel, the court\u2019s decision highlights the difficulties of gathering evidence and establishing proof at sea, underscoring the challenges facing the maritime regulatory system. Seven years on, full justice remains out of reach. To prevent further victims and broken families, the Taiwanese government must strengthen oversight of fishing vessels and require seafood companies to take responsibility for human rights abuses throughout their supply chains.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Union of Indonesian Migrant Workers (SBMI) first documented allegations of severe labour abuses \u2014 such as violence, excessive working hours and wage-related abuses \u2014 aboard the Da Wang in its 2019 investigation. [1] <\/p>\n\n

Sari Heidenreich, senior human rights adviser for Greenpeace USA\u2019s Global Fisheries campaign, said: \u201cThis heartbreaking verdict cannot be the end of the story. A migrant fisher lost his life, and other workers reported serious abuses, including forced labor, aboard the same vessel. This case exemplifies the uphill battle that fishers face to achieve justice and remedy. Responsibility does not end with vessel operators. All of Big Seafood, which includes companies buying and trading seafood, must be rigorous in their due diligence to ensure that forced labor and abuse are not happening anywhere in their supply chains and that, if they do, victims have access to swift and meaningful justice and remedy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

The Da Wang case exposes the widespread problem of seafood supply chains remaining profitable while the migrant workers who catch the fish bear the greatest human cost. <\/p>\n\n

The Greenpeace global network\u2019s Beyond Seafood Campaign has called for concerted action by all stakeholders and governments along the seafood supply chain to end isolation at sea. This includes:<\/p>\n\n