U.S. blocks Fiji based fishing boat, alleging forced labour

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection or CBP personnel at all U.S. ports of entry will detain tuna and other seafood harvested by the Hangton No. 112, a Fijian flagged fishing vessel.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a Withhold Release Order against the longliner fishing vessel based on information that reasonably indicates the use of forced labour in the vessel’s fishing operations.

It identified at least three of the International Labour Organization’s 11 indicators of forced labour during its investigation which are withholding of wages, debt bondage and retention of identity documents.

CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller says foreign fishing vessels like the Hangton No. 112 continue to lure vulnerable migrant workers into forced labour situations so that they can sell seafood below market value, which threatens the livelihoods of American fishermen.

Miller says CBP will continue to stand up against these vessels’ abusive labour practices by preventing the introduction of their unethically-harvested seafood into the U.S. market.

The International Labour Organization estimates that 25 million workers suffer under conditions of forced labour worldwide.

CBP says the distant water fishing industry is at high risk of forced labour as foreign companies often coerce vulnerable migrant workers to perform hazardous labour for little or no pay aboard fishing vessels that may spend months at sea without making port calls. It says foreign companies exploit forced labour to sell goods below market value, which hurts law-abiding businesses, threatens American jobs, and exposes consumers to making unethical purchases.

CBP further says forced labour is often linked to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing that damages ocean ecosystems and threatens the livelihoods of law-abiding American seafood producers.

The Guardian reports that in a December 2019 investigation by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, the vessel was found to have seven of the ILO’s indicators of forced labour.

It says the report noted that a representative from Hangton “claimed that the said vessel is not a distant water fishing vessel and that its Indonesian crew are recruited by an Indonesian agent”. The representative also denied accusations of salary deductions and retention of identity documents.

We have spoken to Minister for Fisheries, Semi Koroilavesau and he is expected to provide response soon.

We have also contacted Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations, Parveen Bala and Minister for Defence and National Security, Inia Seruiratu and both have referred all questions to Koroilavesau.

We have also contacted the Ministry of Industry and Trade for a response.