"Shark Guardian investigation: Global tuna giant Fong Chun Formosa fails to act on shocking environmental and human rights" 24 October 2024

An investigation by Shark Guardian has found sustainability pledges and commitments to action by Taiwanese tuna giant Fong Chun Formosa (FCF) are empty promises, leaving fisheries workers and threatened shark species at risk.

FCF is one of the world’s biggest tuna traders with an associated fleet of over 500 vessels and revenues of hundreds of millions of US dollars a year. It supplies and owns the US canned tuna company Bumble Bee Foods.

However, the Shark Guardian investigation found that FCF announces new sustainability and human rights initiatives without demonstrating progress on existing commitments. An ongoing pattern of lack of transparency in its complex supply chain combined with toothless regulation helps mask major issues...

FCF claims 100% of its portfolio is traced and verified, yet environmental and human rights abuse have been repeatedly found in its supply chain...Despite claims of transparency, the company makes it difficult for independent organizations to verify the vessels in its supply chain. 

In recent years, vessels associated with FCF have been subject to complaints of abuse of vulnerability, physical and sexual violence and the retention of identity documents, including a 2019 case in which a fisherman was beaten to death.

FCF has signed up to multi-stakeholder Fisheries Improvement Projects (FIPs) which were designed to help tuna fisheries respond to environmental and social challenges. Five FCF related FIPs have been assessed as meeting an increased risk of forced labor and human trafficking and given a deadline to address problems. In each case, the FIP has successfully applied for an extension, postponing actions and improvements...