Migrant fishers are accusing suppliers for U.S. tuna giant StarKist of engaging in forced labor practices, as part of a two-and-a-half year investigation from worker rights organization Global Labor Justice (GLJ).
In its investigation, GLJ conducted 75 interviews with 92 Indonesian fishers that were employed on 37 Taiwan-flagged or owned fishing vessels that source tuna to StarKist. Over the course of those conversations, the group found that forced labor indicators were present for 100% of fishers that were interviewed, and on all 37 vessels they worked on.
Fishers described situations where they were forced to work in isolation at sea without access to communication, with their passports confiscated, and while working under debt that compelled them to stay on the job regardless of conditions. Nearly all of them reported working excessive overtime beyond the limits of Taiwanese law. In instances where workers were able to speak publicly and pursue formal complaints, vessels were said to have returned to sea with new crews while the conditions that led to the alleged abuses remained in place.
StarKist is based in Reston, Virginia, and operates as a subsidiary of South Korean company Dongwon Industries. The company holds a 42% market share for processed tuna imports in the U.S. Migrant workers make up roughly 83% of its total workforce, the majority of which are Indonesian fishers. StarKist's official code of conduct says that it prohibits the use of forced labor.
After reaching out to StarKist for comment, SupplyChainBrain received a response from National Seafood Association chief strategy officer Gavin Gibbons on behalf of the company, noting that StarKist is a longtime member "in good standing" with the organization, and that it "takes allegations of worker mistreatment seriously."
"Our members are committed to a value chain that is free from labor abuses," Gibbons continued. "Allegations of specific, actionable concerns should be reported to law-enforcement and regulators right away. Immediacy and specificity aid the seafood community and in-country authorities in taking meaningful action where there are genuine concerns.'
