An AP report reveals shrimp from slave labour continues being traded in the country. (Photo: Stock File)

Shrimp consumers can also aid to combat slave labour

UNITED STATES
Tuesday, December 15, 2015, 03:00 (GMT + 9)

After revealing enslaved migrant workers and children processing shrimp at Thai factories, Associated Press journalists urge consumers to make it clear to their grocery store managers and restaurant servers that they want to know what they are doing to guarantee that their shrimp and other seafood is free from slavery.

The journalists carrying out the investigation insist consumers should read labels and get to know the origin and history of their seafood.

They also recommend American consumers to buy local products, including wild-caught shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico. They consider that consumers, ultimately, have the most power and that if shoppers demand change or stop buying, businesses will be forced to listen, and that's often how reform begins within industry.

Among the shrimp brands and companies the AP’s investigation found linked to "tainted" supply chains are Cape Gourmet; Certifresh; Chef's Net; Chicken of the Sea; Chico; CoCo; Darden; Delicasea; Fancy Feast cat food; Farm Best; Fisherman's Wharf; Winn-Dixie; Fishmarket; Great American; Great Atlantic; Great Catch; Harbor Banks; KPF; Market Basket; Master Catch; Neptune; Portico; Publix; Red Lobster; Royal Tiger; Royal White; Sea Best; Sea Queen; Stater Bros.; Supreme Choice; Tastee Choice; Wal-Mart; Waterfront Bistro; Wellness canned cat food; Whole Catch; Wholey; Xcellent.

As part of their investigation, AP journalists visited supermarkets chosen at random in all 50 states and found the following supply chains were related to slave labour: Acme Markets; Albertsons; Aldi; Bi-Lo; Carrs-Safeway; Cash Wise; Crest Foods; Cub Foods; D'Agostino Supermarket; Dan's Supermarket; Dollar General; Edwards Food Giant; Family Dollar; Foodland; Fred Meyer; Giant Eagle; Harris-Teeter; H-E-B; Hy-Vee; Jerry's Foods; Jewel-Osco; Jons International Marketplace; Kroger; Lowes Foods; Mariano's; Market Basket; Marsh Supermarkets; Martin's Super Markets; McDade's Market; Pavilions; Petco; Piggly Wiggly; Price Chopper; Publix; Ralphs; Randall's Food Market; Redner's Warehouse Markets; Russ's Market; Safeway; Save Mart; Schnucks; Shaws; ShopRite; Smart & Final; Sprouts Farmers Market; Stater Bros.; Stop & Shop; Sunshine Foods; Target; Van's Thriftway; Vons; Wal-Mart; Whole Foods; Winn-Dixie.

The team of reporters explain that Thailand has been affected by problems linked to human trafficking in its seafood industry because this country relies heavily on migrant workers from poor neighbouring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos.

Even when they stress that Thailand has repeatedly vowed to crack down on the abuses and has created new laws and is helping to register undocumented workers, arrests and prosecutions are still rare.

And even when the US State Department has blacklisted Thailand for the past two years for its dismal human rights record, this country has not issued sanctions, stressed AP investigation authors.

In addition to this measure to combat IUU, the European Union put out a "yellow card" warning earlier this year that tripled seafood import tariffs, and is expected to decide next month whether to impose an outright ban on Thai products.

Meanwhile, companies such as Nestle have vowed to force change after conducting their own audits and finding that their Thai suppliers were abusing and enslaving workers. Others are working with rights groups to monitor their supply chains and ensure laborers are treated fairly and humanely.
 

Related articles:

- New report proves abuses persist in Thai seafood industry
- Costco faces lawsuit over alleged sale of slavery tainted prawn
- British newspaper reveals more slavery cases in seafood sector
- Thai IUU and modern slavery must be addressed as interconnected issues, EJF says

 
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