Envisioning a more sustainable and socially just fishing industry

Preparation of Transshipment at Sea in Taiwan臺灣鮪延繩釣漁船準備海上轉載
Labour and human rights abuses continue to exist in Taiwan’s Distant Water Fishing fleets. In an investigation for the report “Choppy Waters – Forced Labour and Illegal Fishing in Taiwan’s Distant Water Fisheries”, Greenpeace East Asia visited one of the ports most frequented by Taiwanese vessels and interviewed migrant fishers, all hired from Indonesia, who worked on fishing vessels flagged or otherwise linked to Taiwan; as well as analysed the fishers’ contracts and salary slips.
臺灣鮪延繩釣漁船把冷凍庫的鮪魚吊起，準備進行海上轉載。但根據漁工訪談，該艘船疑似涉及強迫勞動、割鰭棄身與非法與其他漁船轉載之行為。

Greenpeace seeks a substantial transformation from fisheries production dominated by large-scale, socially and economically unjust, and environmentally destructive methods to prioritise smaller scale, community-based, labour intensive fisheries using ecologically responsible, selective fishing technology, and environmentally sound practices. International trade in fisheries products should not undermine the legitimate interests of coastal communities, which include protecting fisherfolk’s livelihoods, human and labour rights, or negatively impact food security, especially in developing countries.

To this end, the fish trading, processing, and retailing industry have a fundamental role to play by reviewing their purchasing policies and practices so that market conditions are created to favor fisheries that comply with strict social and environmental criteria. To that end, Greenpeace researches urge retailers, brand owners and seafood companies to adopt our policy outline for seafood sustainability, seafood worker human rights, and chains of custody.

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Companion report: Choppy Waters – Forced Labor and Illegal Fishing in Taiwan’s Distant Water Fisheries