The Dark Underbelly of the Seas: Human Rights Abuses, Forced Labour, and Seafood Certifications
Human Rights at Sea congratulates The Outlaw Ocean Project for another round of newly released in-depth investigative reporting into abuses both at sea and on land. Today, we review the Project’s latest exposé work and the common links with ongoing seafood certification reviews...
Seafood supply chains are complex and characterised by significant gaps in traceability and transparency, allowing illegal practices to persist. Both governments and companies have grappled with the regulation of seafood supply chains, and certifications often fail to ensure ethical practices, leading to products tainted by human rights abuses and environmental crimes finding their way into the global seafood market. The Project further highlights the integral issue of the credibility of voluntary social auditing and opens the door to the $ multi-million seafood certification industry which relies on corporate assurance providers...
In a separate but complimentary initiative, Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) conducted a three-year desk-level investigation of international certifications, standards, and ratings in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
In February this year, after three years of desk-level investigation, Human Rights at Sea (HRAS) published "Does it Do What it Says on the Tin?" - an independent review of voluntary international certifications, standards and ratings across the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
This report was supported by NGO Freedom United and is part of the wider work our charity has been undertaking in reviewing the entire maritime supply chain.
HRAS took the position that with the significant number of existing and emerging certifications in the wider seafood sector globally and consumers' reliance on them, there is an urgent need to assess them against international legal instruments...