24 April 2024 Seafood industry actors gather in Barcelona to encourage engagement on better human rights due diligence processes, and participate in the launch of the SEA Alliance Commitment to Progress initiative. Over 50 representatives from seafood businesses, NGOs and the scientific community assembled at a panel session hosted by the Seafood Ethics Action (SEA) Alliance at the recent Seafood Expo in Barcelona. The ‘Bridging the Gap’ event focussed on industry-wide collaboration and aligned approaches to addressing pressing human rights issues in global seafood supply chains. It was also the opportunity to launch the SEA Alliance Commitment to Progress initiative. The panel brought together a wide range of seafood supply chain stakeholders – from policymakers to academics, and those with previous experience working at sea. It featured: Thea Lee, the Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor; Chris Williams from the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) Fisheries Section; Noel Selorm Adabblah, a former fisherman from Ghana; Lara Funk, a PhD Candidate in Seafood and Social Sustainability at Heriot-Watt University; David Hammond, Founder of policy and advocacy NGO, Human Rights at Sea International; Huw Thomas, a Consultant and founder of Three Pillars Seafood, which specialises in responsible sourcing and supply chain advice. The session was moderated by the SEA Alliance’s Chair and the Group Social Sustainability and Ethics Senior Manager at Hilton Food, Julia Black. Each panellist shared their unique perspective on interacting with human rights in the seafood industry, not only helping to build a complete and vivid picture of the myriad of challenges faced by many, but also to highlight opportunities for collaboration in terms of instilling responsible practices across the board. Georgia Worrall, Head of the SEA Alliance, reflected on the panel session:

With such a diverse audience the Seafood Expo Global is a great opportunity to form and build game-changing partnerships between stakeholders. The involvement and keen interest of the private sector in these dialogues highlight a genuinely collective commitment to enhancing human rights due diligence through various partnerships and collaborations. However, conversation is just one way in which we can enhance our understanding of human rights issues and share approaches on improving due diligence practices. We know that the industry is also calling for more foundational, practical guidance on due diligence processes. At this event in 2023 we began work on a charter of commitments. This has now evolved into a framework of commitment pathways for businesses to monitor progress against. We are now a year on, so this event was the opportunity for us to introduce details of the framework which underpins our Commitment to Progress initiative.

The Commitment to Progress initiative incorporates four key areas: Transparency, Rightsholder Engagement, Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) and Purchasing Practices, each with a cycle of actions for businesses to monitor progress against. It encompasses commitments related to policy formation, risk assessment and mitigations strategies, data collection and monitoring, establishment of accountability targets, transparent communication of progress, and remediation expectations. Georgia continued:

This is just the start. The SEA Alliance anticipates providing support to our members in advancing this framework and facilitating collective efforts to achieve progress in specific areas. We will be working with partners on the creation and provision of supplementary guidance on actionable steps for businesses. As we continue to develop this guidance it is important that it remains inclusive of a broad range of businesses. We want to be in a place where this is considered the norm across the industry, and not a box-ticking exercise. Crucially we know that verification of progress against this framework is key to its impact. Working with industry experts, as well as organisations who work closely with workers and fishers, will be a key part of this process. We are currently working on developing an effective verification framework to monitor member’s progress. We want to pilot this framework, so we are asking for a number of SEA Alliance member businesses to trial this framework within their current businesses processes, starting with one of our key retail members.

The Seafood Ethics Action Alliance (SEA Alliance), in partnership with the Consumer Goods Forum, hosted a light lunch, followed by a panel discussion and workshop. The focus of this event was on exploring strategies for enhancing labour standards and worker rights within global seafood supply chains through industry-wide collaboration. The workshop and discussion aimed to serve as a platform for stakeholders across the industry to share insights on the progress already made towards improving labour standards and to collaboratively identify and outline future steps that can be taken to further these improvements. This gathering proved to be an excellent opportunity for participants to engage in meaningful dialogue, exchange ideas, and work together towards achieving greater alignment and action in the seafood industry.

The Seafood Ethics Action (SEA) Alliance has awarded funding from its Change on the Water (COTW) Fund to the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA) Crew Services Limited, to develop a mobile app (App) to help address welfare issues and support crew, both foreign and local. The funding has been awarded to design, build, trial, develop and launch an App that will be used to support Crew Services in the engagement and delivery of improved, secure and private communications between, and to fishers (including foreign fishers), as well as to other relevant stakeholders. This will allow sharing of various types of practical information. Crew members can build an online community through the chat function. This will allow the sharing of experiences to increase their feeling of belonging. The transparency and availability of information will provide a level of support and empowerment for crew members that is currently not offered. In addition, should they have any queries or anything untoward happens on board, they will have the means to communicate with their peers, or confidentially contact support groups to address these. This will instil a high level of accountability for the captain and crew, to ensure labour and welfare standards on board are of a high standard. SWFPA Crew Services and SWFPA, are developing the App with Dev4Online. It is being trialled by a wide working party which includes fishers from several different nationalities and from deck hand to skipper. This feedback will be analysed by an evaluation group to assess whether all the features work appropriately, whilst checking to see if additional features should be added. One of the most important elements is the grievance procedure hot line which will be tested extensively to check its operational functions are working to the standard required. SWFPA Crew Services Limited is wholly owned by the Scottish White Fish Producers Association Limited. The company was launched in 2020 to improve the standards of non-UK crew employment. Crew Services has been instrumental in delivering professional contracts that meet the requirements of ILO C188 and UK employment law.  The company has its MCA certificate of conformity and is a member of the Association of Labour Providers. This project has received match funding from four SEA Alliance member companies: Associated Seafoods, Youngs Seafoods, Thistle Seafoods and Marks & Spencer. The SEA Alliance COTW Fund supports projects in our members companies supply chains that positively impact the human rights and labour standards of fishers and aquaculture workers. Our COTW Fund supports a collaborative model for addressing human rights issues that acknowledges shared responsibility in supply chains. The Fund is open to members of the SEA Alliance and their partners. Note: The SEA Alliance launched a second round of its Change on the Water Fund on 4 September 2023. The application window closed on 30 November 2023. The total funding available in this second round of funding was £48,000, with individual grants expected to be £10,000 – £15,000.

The Seafood Ethics Action (SEA) Alliance have selected Georgia Worrall, a seasoned workers' rights and ethical trade professional, to lead their work in advancing social responsibility in global seafood supply chains. Georgia took up the post as Head of the SEA Alliance on Monday 8th January. The SEA Alliance is a pre-competitive collaboration comprised of 34 retailers, supply chain companies and trade bodies, including most major British supermarkets which are collectively responsible for 95% of grocery sales in the UK. In her new role, Georgia will be responsible for leading the delivery of the SEA Alliance’s workplan. The four pillars of this strategy involve establishing the SEA Alliance as an impactful, pre-competitive collaboration; supporting businesses to undertake aligned human rights due diligence (HRDD); carrying out engagement with governments, advocating for worker protections and supporting improvement projects designed to positively impact the labour standards of fishers and aquaculture workers through its Change on the Water Fund. Laying out her vision for SEA Alliance going into 2024, Georgia said: “The SEA Alliance is already well-established in its ability to bring market actors together, including direct competitors, to collaborate effectively for the meaningful advancement of human rights and labour standards in the seafood industry. My role as the new Head will involve enhancing the existing pillars of work whilst reinforcing governance structures, ensuring that the alliance remains resilient and adaptable. “I look forward to working closely with our members, external stakeholders, and businesses throughout seafood supply chains. Collaboratively, I hope to explore ways to enhance human rights due diligence in the sector, aiming for tangible improvements in the rights and conditions of the workers involved. “I am eager to harness the leverage and influence of our alliance membership to take our advocacy efforts to new heights by engaging with global governments, standards and certification bodies and other influential stakeholders. “I also look forward to developing and implementing initiatives that not only tackle current challenges but also devise solutions for sustainable and meaningful change. In essence, my focus is on a year marked by organisational growth and impactful collective efforts.” Explaining why Georgia was the ideal fit for the role, the SEA Alliance’s chair and Group Ethics and Social Sustainability Senior Manager at Hilton Foods, Julia Black said: “We are delighted at the appointment of Georgia to the role of Head of the SEA Alliance. As Head, she will bring a great awareness and understanding of the actions businesses can take to meaningfully impact worker rights. Georgia has a successful history of implementing human rights due diligence within seafood supply chains and I am confident of the beneficial impact her work will bring to the SEA Alliance.” Before being selected to take the reins at the SEA Alliance, Georgia’s roles included: Ethical Trading Manager for canned and ambient food importer Caterers Choice and Responsible Sourcing Coordinator for Verisio, a social compliance auditing body. Most recently Georgia worked for British retailer and SEA Alliance member the Co-op, as the Human Rights and Ethical Trading Manager. She held this role alongside a consultancy position at the SEA Alliance, in which she has been principally responsible since March 2023 for the delivery of its flagship “Commitment to Progress Initiative”. The Initiative, currently in development, seeks to provide a series of pathways for businesses to follow to improve their HRDD processes. It has been widely consulted on by various industry stakeholders and is expected to be published at this year’s Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona. The two-month-long search for a new Head – responsible for delivering the organisation’s strategic vision – was triggered by the departure of former Head, Andy Hickman, who after two years in the role, took up a new position at British retailer and SEA Alliance member, Sainsbury’s.

The SEA Alliance launched a second round of its Change on the Water Fund. The Fund aims to support projects in our member company supply chains that positively impact the human rights and labour standards of fishers and aquaculture workers. The Fund is open to members of the SEA Alliance and their partners. Each application must involve collaboration between two or more SEA Alliance participating companies and their partners, and match funding is required. Applications for this funding round opened on 4 September 2023 and closed on 30 November 2023. The total funding available in this second round of funding is £48,000, with individual grants expected to be £10,000 - £15,000. The Head of the SEA Alliance said:

We are really excited to be launching a second round of funding under our Change on the Water Fund. We established this fund in order to promote a collaborative model for addressing human rights issues that acknowledges shared responsibility for supply chains. Through this second round of funding, we are hoping to leverage additional investment from our member companies, and will be seeking to learn lessons as to what interventions have the most impact for workers in our supply chains.

As reported in Seafood Source.

The Seafood Ethics Action Alliance, a U.K.-based pre-competitive organization whose members include 11 of the largest supermarket chains in the United Kingdom, collectively representing 95 percent of all retail seafood sales in the U.K., is looking into allegations – brought to light by The Financial Times – of mistreatment of migrant crews working on British fishing vessels.

There have been previous allegations of mistreatment of some of the estimated 1,200 migrant fishers serving onboard vessels fishing in a 12-mile limit from the U.K. coast, which under ambiguous wording in current laws, allows operators to treat their crew as if they were fishing in international waters. The special status is granted via skilled worker visas that limits those workers’ ability to come ashore between fishing trips.

However, in June 2023, The Financial Times profiled four Filipino workers serving onboard vessels working as part of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) fleet, who claimed they had been subjected to mistreatment including limitation to access to medical care and forced labor.

“We are working to ensure that a robust independent investigation into the allegations is completed as a matter of urgency, and we are in touch with fishing sector representatives in Kilkeel regarding the methodology and timeline for this,” SEA Alliance said in a statement. “The SEA Alliance will be carefully reviewing the findings as soon as they are available, and will support the sector to implement any improvement actions required.”

The group has convened a Human Rights Allegation Engagement Group and is working with non-governmental organizations and fishing sector organizations to explore the feasibility of a Worker Driven Social Responsibility (WSR) pilot in the Scottish fishing sector, but “there is more that can be done,” it said.

“Advocacy and engagement is a key role for the SEA Alliance. We are engaging with governments of key sourcing countries to promote ratification and effective implementation of key conventions. In addition to the role of governments and international organizations, we are also advocating for standards and certification bodies to ensure that human rights and labor standards are adequately covered by their standards and processes,” it said.

SEA Alliance Head Andy Hickman told Supply Chain Brain the investigation into the specific allegations in the Financial Times article will be thorough, and will also examine “wider human rights reform” within the U.K. fishing sector.

“We’ve been working to ensure it’s a robust, independent investigation,” he said. “The issues faced by the workers … aren’t unique to Northern Ireland. Alongside this investigation, it’s critical that we work with the fishing industry on a wider program of reform that addresses the root causes which contributed to the allegations.”

The U.K.’s 2022 Nationality and Borders Act introduced stricter measures on fishing labor that came into effect in April 2023, which prohibit those with U.K. transit visas from engaging in commercial fishing. As a result, several smaller fishing boats have been forced to tie up for months because they can no longer employ overseas crew, according to the Financial Times. But vessels fishing within the 12-mile limit are exempt from that rule if they obtain skilled worker visas for migrant crew.

Some NGOs and labor unions, including the International Transport Workers’ Federation, are pushing for that loophole to be closed, in addition to guaranteed rights minimum standards for pay and working conditions for migrant laborers.

“The government and seafood companies have turned a blind eye to the open secret of migrant labour exploitation in UK fishing for too long,” ITWF Fisheries Expert Chris Williams said. “This should be about workers and working conditions, not where the fish is caught.”

A U.K. government spokesperson urged the country’s fishing industry to reform itself.

“[The government has] offered a generous support package to help [the industry] adjust to the U.K. immigration system, but the sector must urgently tackle the increasing levels of labour abuse being discovered at sea," the spokesperson said.

Financial Times articles on mistreatment of migrant crew in the UK, with a focus on Filipino crew in Northern Ireland (accessible links) (June and July 2023) Original FT article Secondary FT article relating to migrant visa systems Third FT article relating to the NI investigation

Advocacy and engagement is a key role for the SEA Alliance.  We are engaging with Governments of key sourcing countries to promote ratification and effective implementation of key conventions.  In addition to the role of Governments and international organisations, we are also advocating for standards and certification bodies to ensure that human rights and labour standards are adequately covered by their standards and processes. In addition, as well as advocating for these specific agreements to be ratified and implemented, we also engage with Governments and industry on key aspects of policy relating to the human rights and labour standards of fishers. Recent SEA Alliance position statements highlight these efforts.

26 April 2023 Please read the SEA Alliance Statement to the Press. Urgent action needed by countries to ensure minimum labour standards in fishing are met says major alliance of retailers and seafood businesses

26 April 2023 A number of seafood businesses attending the Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona attended the SEA Alliance lunchtime retailer and business discussion session to discuss opportunities for collaboration in addressing human rights and and labour standards issues in seafood supply chains. This meeting convened retailers, seafood businesses, trade union representatives, and NGOs to launch the development of a set of powerful, co-designed commitments that will be refined and finalised over the next 12 months, alongside the existing SEA Alliance work programme. The commitments will focus specifically on advancing human rights and labour standards in seafood supply chains. Once finalised, they will provide a clear anchor-point around which retailers and seafood businesses can coalesce in a joint mission to play an impactful role in safeguarding the rights of fishers and other workers in their seafood supply chains. The commitments will provide a clear framework for ongoing action and progress reporting across the SEA Alliance membership, and beyond - with the Alliance hoping to engage a wide range of businesses internationally to strengthen this mission.

The Seafood Ethics Action (SEA) Alliance has created the Anchoring Due Diligence six-part webinar series to provide support and guidance for seafood businesses. This is an integral part of the SEA Alliance’s aim to increase alignment on effective due diligence processes, and increase the implementation of impactful approaches to address human rights risks. The final webinar in the series took place on Thursday 20 April 2023. This webinar concluded our series to put the knowledge gained into action. It focussed on how to evaluate responsible purchasing practices and incentivize positive change. This included: how to gain support and buy in from other teams; how to set shared performance indicators and create model contract agreements; and ensure transparency throughout the supply chain. We have also produced a one page briefing document. https://youtu.be/WdWvorQB6OM

The Change on the Water Fund aims to support projects in our member company supply chains that positively impact the human rights and labour standards of fishers and aquaculture workers. The Fund is open to members of the SEA Alliance and their partners. Each application must involve collaboration between two or more SEA Alliance participating companies. Applications for the first funding round closed on Friday 2 September 2022. The total funding available in the first round of funding was £60,000. Individual grants of between £15,000 and £20,000 were awarded. Four projects received funding and commenced in December 2022/January 2023:

• Establishing a mobile application promoting worker rights and incorporating a national grievance mechanism. Maldives Pole-and-line/Handline tuna fishery, Maldives Exclusive Zone.
• Fishing First Safety Management Project – Northern Ireland Fish Supply Chain Transparency.
• Thai Seafood Producers: Worker Voice and Survey, Thai Fishing Industry, Thailand.
• International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) and Stella Maris: Development and dissemination of resources for migrant crew in the UK fishing industry, UK.

There will be a further round of funding later in the year.

The SEA Alliance recognises that industry leadership and accountability is critical to improving labour standards and safeguarding human rights in the global seafood industry, which is why we are working with stakeholders to develop a set of specific, timebound commitments to be adopted by our members, as well as other major retailers and seafood businesses involved in the global seafood industry. We are seeking a corporate engagement and strategic communications specialist to work with us on a 12-18 month project. This will involve working alongside the Head of the SEA Alliance, the SEA Alliance Secretariat, SEA Alliance members, and other stakeholders. The project will involve:

• Undertaking a detailed mapping and analysis of retailers and seafood businesses in Europe and North America that the SEA Alliance should engage with in its work on human rights and labour standards in the global seafood industry.
• Supporting the Head of the SEA Alliance to convene SEA Alliance members and other stakeholders to develop a set of commitments intended to be transformative in driving respect for human rights and improved labour standards in the global seafood industry.
• Organising a series of roundtable meetings to enable a wide range of stakeholders (inc. retailers, brands, seafood processors, fishing companies, trade unions, fishers’ organisations and Government representatives) to feed into the development of the commitments, the implementation process, and how implementation will be monitored.
• Being responsible for the drafting of the corporate commitments and associated guidance, with input from the Head of the SEA Alliance, SEA Alliance members, workers organisations, the fishing sector, and wider stakeholders.
• Undertaking outreach with individual member companies and other organisations to seek their input into the development of the commitments, and to provide updates on key developments.
• Supporting the development of new, targeted outreach with retailers and brands in Europe and North America to build awareness and adoption of best practice in undertaking Human Rights Due Diligence in seafood supply chains, and to promote adoption of the commitments.
• Drafting and delivering high quality guidance and information on the commitments and wider HRDD in seafood supply chains for a diverse audience.
• Supporting the Head of the SEA Alliance and SEA Alliance Secretariat on the implementation of the wider work of the SEA Alliance, including the HRDD, advocacy and Change on Water work-streams, and in particular a project to lead the evaluation of the Change on the Water Fund projects the SEA Alliance is supporting.
• Working alongside the Head of the SEA Alliance and the SEA Alliance Secretariat to develop and execute a high-quality strategic communication strategy, including the creation and delivery of high-quality communications materials.

  If you aren’t doing things markedly different to how you did them four or five years ago then it’s very likely your Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) process is not robust, probably not fit for purpose! Change is risky and you are in the risk management business, but have a good look at what you do and how you do it. Is change riskier than your current operational weaknesses? Change is hard work, but planning change and undertaking it at your pace, is so much easier than doing it under pressure, when your due diligence is proven inadequate. It is also a lot more cost effective. Don’t be daunted by HRDD guidance publications, they are public facing so need to be watertight and comprehensive. Pick out the areas that are most salient, and deliverable for your business. One size does not fit all, you may need to approach different supply chains, and risks, using different tools and techniques. Consider the impact of your purchasing practices on suppliers’ ability to operate to required compliance standards. Internal engagement with functions that operate to potentially contradictory KPIs can be challenging, perhaps look to data and emerging PP tools to build an engagement strategy. What might good HRDD look like? Advocacy: Governments have a duty to protect human rights, if you don’t believe they are doing a good job let them know, and let the public know. As members of the SEA Alliance, you are probably contributing to ongoing advocacy efforts. Look to form or join other opportunities to apply pressure on situations you know are denying workers their rights. Stakeholder Engagement: Understand how your business impacts supply chains and ensure internal functions and stakeholders are aware of their potential impact. Networking: Externally with your supply chain partners, competitors, civil society, trade unions, activists, and relevant stakeholders local to suppliers. Just as importantly, network internally with business functions that can impact your suppliers. You really need to keep in touch with emerging best practices, regional risks and build a ‘help and advice network’. Visibility: It is obvious, but you can’t deliver due diligence unless you know exactly what you’re dealing with. Map your supply chains and secure them. If there is unauthorised subcontracting, or unknown sources along the supply chain, there are gaps in your due diligence. Consider transparency, that’s publishing your supply chains in a sortable spreadsheet format, so stakeholders and civil society can access and make use of this information. You can then be the first port of call if there’s a need to leverage change, much better than reading about issues in the papers, and proof you are looking to engage with stakeholders and not hide your sourcing footprint and responsibilities. Investigating Salient Risks: May differ from supplier to supplier due to many variants, location, product, worker demographic, etc. Again, one size due diligence may not fit all scenarios, so understanding the salient risks will allow you to tailor your approach. Worker engagement should be the new major tool in identifying salient issues. Social audits alone are not sufficient due diligence. There are areas of risk social audits can tackle, but these are few, and far less than they attempt to measure. I would consider reviewing the social audit protocol you employ, reduce the remit to investigate areas it can measure and allow auditors more time to be’ diligent’. Engaging workers should start to become a major part of your HRDD. Access to trade union representation and freedom of association should be an important workstream in all supply chains. But where not possible then direct engagement, via local NGO partnerships, or the use of scalable tech to monitor working and employment conditions, or to survey workers on salient issues. For example, in the first SEA Alliance webinar Max Schmid (Environmental Justice Foundation) gave a presentation, in which he outlined the potential salient issues on fishing vessels - withheld wages and deductions, debt bondage and document retention, excessive overtime, abuse, intimidation and threats. Note, the data is collected from worker engagement, not audit. I would suggest all these risks are very challenging, probably unlikely, for an audit to identify and report. The intimidation and threats, alongside all negative aspects of management behaviour, are seldom identified by social audit and yet in my opinion it is the biggest indicator that actors in the supply chain are not respecting workers, not delivering policies, and likely manipulating audit. Delivering Remedy: must become as important as measuring risk. Without remedy the risk remains. I know minor issues are the low hanging fruit, usually easiest to remedy and good for reporting purposes, but fixing the salient issues will dissolve the minor irritations. The lack of remedy that has followed audit, over decades, has significantly reduced its potency, alienated workers from  engaging, and given false assurances regarding working conditions and worker welfare in the supply chain.”. Engage other buyers (your competitors), in leveraging remedy, solicit local experts, trade unions present, and importantly workers in helping your supplier design remedy. Workers’ satisfaction with remedy is paramount and they can report sustainability through the channels mentioned under the last heading. For worker engagement to be sustainable they must be believed, safeguarded, and rewarded with remedy on the salient issues they highlight. In closing: both the author and SEA Alliance would be really interested in your opinion on this blog, what you endorse, what you’d improve on, and what you simply disagree with. Please write your comments in an email to the author at margeryconsulting@outlook.com and please state whether you’d like to be named or remain anonymous, we will post every response received.

There are a number of new requirements in the new RFVS Issue 2.0 including the development and incorporation of a zero-tolerance policy for managing instances of serious human rights atrocities affecting crew members, as well as zero tolerance for the use of illegal child labour. Lastly, support/tender vessels can be included, audited, and certified as part of the group/fleet assessment process. Currently, 27 vessels that cover 610 crew members across the world are RFVS-certified under the RFVS Issue 1.1 and will not be subject to the new requirements until their certifications expire, three years after initial certification date. The first vessel to RFVS Issue 1.1 was certified in January 2021, less than a year out from the first significant update to RFVS in June 2020. Two fleets are in the process of getting certified to the new issue.

The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report is the U.S. Government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking. The U.S. Department of State Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report 2022 was published on 19 July 2022. A quick analysis of the 2022 TIP report shows: 188 countries are mentioned in the TIP report. Each country is ranked according to a number of criteria (see description on page 5). The narrative for each country looks at prosecution, protection and prevention and describes how a government has or has not addressed the relevant TVPA minimum standards during the reporting period.

• Tier 1 – 30 countries (28 in 2021) Tier 2 – 99 countries (95 in 2021) Tier 2 Watch List – 34 countries (45 in 2021) Tier 3 – 22 countries (17 In 2021) Special case – 3 (3 in 2021)
• Fish or fishing is mentioned is association with forced labour in 58 (54 in 2021) of the 188 countries in 2022 (50 countries in 2020, 49 from 2017 – 2019, 51 in 2016). Of the 58 countries where fishing is mentioned: Tier 1 – 7 countries (9 in 2021) Tier 2 – 34 countries (24 in 2021) Tier 2 Watch – 12 countries (18 in 2021) Tier 3 – 5 countries (3 in 2021)
• The United Kingdom entry makes specific reference to the transit visa scheme.
• Countries that have been singled out specifically with regards to fishing include: Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China PRC, Fiji, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Korea (Republic of), Papa New Guinea, Taiwan, Soloman islands, Thailand and Vietnam. Of these countries please note (in this report): Cambodia has been downgraded from Tier 2 Watch List to Tier 3. Ireland has moved from Tier 2 Watch to Tier 2. Korea (Republic of) has moved from Tier 2 to Tier 2. Thailand has moved from Tier 2 Watch to Tier 2. Despite a lot of fishing references Taiwan remains at Tier 1.

London, 25 June 2022 – On the Day of the Seafarer, 110 years after the Titanic disaster, leading UK retailers and seafood companies operating across the globe are calling upon all Flag States involved in their supply chain to ratify the Cape Town Agreement for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, to finally put the protection of fishers’ lives at sea on an equal footing with that of seafarers’. UK seafood retailers and businesses committed to improving human rights and labour standards in the fishing sector are calling on more than 40 Flag States involved in their supply chain to deliver on their commitment to protect fishers’ safety at sea, which is a priority for the fishing industry. On the Day of the Seafarer, with only 4 months left to make a major international treaty protecting fishers’ lives at sea a success, the Seafood Ethics Action Alliance (SEA Alliance) – which gathers processors, retailers and food service businesses representing more than 70% of retail food sales in the UK – stresses that it is no longer possible for Flag States to overlook fishers’ safety at sea. The Cape Town Agreement for the Safety of Fishing Vessels was adopted by the International Maritime Organisation in 2012 and aims to make every commercial fishing vessel a safe working place, from stem to stern. The safety of seafarers at sea was made a priority after the Titanic disaster in 1912, which resulted in the adoption of the very first convention for the protection of the safety of life at sea in 1914. But 110 years after this tragedy, there is still no international treaty to protect the safety of fishers. Two treaties were negotiated on fishers’ safety in 1977 and 1993, but neither of them entered into force. Therefore, fishers have been waiting for more than 45 years for an international treaty to protect their lives at sea. To change this situation, 51 States signed the Torremolinos Declaration in 2019 to commit to ratify the Cape Town Agreement by October 2022. Six States committed or reasserted their commitment at the One Ocean Summit in February 2022. “The Cape Town Agreement is one of the three international treaties which aim to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and poor labour standards, together with the FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), and the ILO Work in Fishing Convention (C.188)”, the SEA Alliance says. “Whereas C.188 and PSMA are already in force, the Cape Town Agreement is the missing link which could strengthen international law, since catch control, decent working conditions and safe vessels are three complementary and indivisible conditions to end illegal fishing activities.”

This collaborative paper provides an overview of labour risk management practices ‘reported’ by fisheries certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Standard. As well as a range of risk-mitigation tools, the paper discusses the benefits of having common principles that can be adapted to local contexts. It also highlights the challenge of addressing social issues that often come under the responsibility of the vessel’s flag state rather than authorities where the fishing is taking place. This paper aims to provide an overview of measures used to mitigate the risk of forced and child labour in fisheries certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard, representing over 15% of the world’s marine capture fishery production and a range of geographies, gear types, scales, target species, and regulatory contexts. MSC certificate holders have been required to submit forced and child labour statements as part of the Standard’s requirements since 2018 and are required to make these publicly available. Analysis of these statements provided a wealth of information on the mechanisms by which a subset of arguably the world’s best managed fisheries work to mitigate the risk of forced and child labour in their operations. Further, this analysis supported the creation of a conceptual framework to map out and evaluate practical labour risk management mechanisms within fisheries, categorised by the roles of different actors and the type of intervention.

There have been a number of industry statements in response to the University of Nottingham Report. Letting exploitation off the hook? Evidencing labour abuses in UK fishing and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) report A One Way Ticket to Labour Exploitation. Fishermen's Welfare Alliance (FWA)

The FWA unreservedly condemns the reports of abuse and exploitation that were published last week. Such behaviour is deplorable and utterly indefensible. However, it is wrong to assume that the issues raised are endemic across the UK fishing fleet – they are not, and indeed the University of Nottingham report made clear that its findings were based on a small sample that was not chosen at random, so its findings cannot be generalised.

Seafish statement

Whilst the welfare issues raised in the University of Nottingham report are not reflective of every fishing vessel in the UK, the findings are concerning and highlight there is still work to do. We are committed to working across industry and with government to ensure that the UK fishing sector is an exemplar in what a fishing industry should look like.

The Seafarers’ Charity stands ready to support migrant workers in UK Fishing

We stand ready, as a grant funder, to play our role in supporting improvements in the working conditions and treatment of migrant workers in the UK fishing industry and we call on others involved in UK fishing to act swiftly to stamp out the abhorrent treatment of migrant workers and prevent the risk of such poor practices ever becoming accepted in UK fishing.

Report in the Guardian newspaper. Migrant workers ‘exploited and beaten’ on UK fishing boats.

A third of migrant workers on UK fishing vessels who responded to a research survey work 20-hour shifts, and 35% reported regular physical violence, according to a new study that concludes there is rampant exploitation and abuse on British ships.

Byline Times. Addicted to Exploiting Migrant Labour’ The Hidden Hostile Environment in the Fishing Industry.

The transit visa is not designed to be used for fishermen, but for seafarers transiting through the UK to board vessels operating in international waters. But the report says that for the last 15 years, the transit visa has been used to systematically exploit foreign labour.

A new report has been published by the University of Nottingham Rights Lab, on working conditions across the UK fishing fleet. The report Letting exploitation off the hook? Evidencing labour abuses in UK fishing report focuses on all crew working in the UK fishing fleet, including the local workforce and those from overseas, share fishers, and contracted employees. Key findings include:

• 35% of fishers reported experiencing regular physical violence – with some workers recounting being racially abused or experiencing extreme sexual violence.
• The average salary for migrant fishers working in the UK was £3.51 per hour – well below the National Minimum Wage in the UK at £9.50 an hour.
• One participant, a UK national, told researchers: “I heard a vessel owner say. No – he proudly declared: I can get 2-3 foreign crew for the price of one of you local lads.”
• 19% of participants reported conditions comparable to forced labour with an additional 48% reporting potential cases.
• Due to legal loopholes, non-European migrants with transit visas have no legal authority to “enter” the UK without permission when returning to port and are forced to live on board the vessels.
• Vessel owners and recruitment agencies are issuing work agreements that are non-compliant with UK regulation, causing migrant fishers to be unduly treated as violators of UK immigration law even when other parties are responsible for the illegal nature of their work.
• More than 60% of fishers (including UK nationals) said they would never report a grievance out of fear of blacklisting - the practice of restricting re-employment opportunities for fishers.

A new report has been published by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). This report, A One Way Ticket to Labour Exploitation, focusses on the transit visa system for recruiting foreign fishers. It is aimed at immigration and fisheries policymakers. Transit visas are the starting point for the labour abuse of migrant workers working in the UK fishing industry. This type of visa is intended to allow seafarers from other countries to board ships in UK ports that then depart into international waters. Fishing vessel owners have been allowed to misuse this visa in employing migrants, taking them fishing into international waters (more than 12 nautical miles from the UK coast) to fulfil the transit requirements but then bringing them back to a UK port to live on board the fishing vessel. They argue they are allowed to do this under current rules but, at best, it is a loophole that needs closing The report argues that transit visas are the starting point for a cycle of abuse, and that the system needs to be changed to close, what is seen as a loophole. Several recommendations were made to reform the system.  

The report Valuing Victims Voices is based on 26 narratives shared by men working as crew in distant water fisheries from Fiji and Indonesia. This study was undertaken in Fiji and Indonesia to understand the experiences of exploitation in DW fisheries from the survivors’ perspective. Sixteen participants from Fiji and ten from Indonesia wrote or recorded narratives about their experiences. They were guided through the process of narrative construction by partner NGOs. The study revealed how violence and inhuman treatment were often determined by racial discrimination. Severe work-related injuries were common, and exploitations were rarely formally reported or resulted in remedy for the survivors.  

This Seafish report 2021 Employment in the UK Fishing Fleet presents a snapshot of employment in the UK fishing fleet. In the 2021 Seafish survey of the UK fishing fleet, researchers collected employment and demographic data on a sample of 268 vessels and 788 workers across the UK catching sector. Overall, most workers in the sample (64%) were from the UK. Most non-UK workers were from the Philippines, Ghana and Latvia and employed as deckhands. They were mainly employed on over 10m demersal trawlers and Nephrops trawlers registered in Scotland and Northern Ireland.  The average age of employees sampled was 40. , The report identified that 55% of deckhands in the vessels surveyed were of non-UK origin, the majority from Ghana or the Philippines. 10% of the 372 respondents said that crewing issues had already affected business performance in the year prior to being surveyed. Two fleet segments in particular reported the largest crewing concerns, with 25% of demersal under-10m trawler owners and 23% of Nephrops vessel owners surveyed reporting having already experienced negative impacts.