Hard Labor Slavery
Hard Labor Slavery is when someone is forced to perform hard labor by threats of punishment and is unable to leave. According to the International Labor Organization, about 21 million people around in the world are trapped in this type of slavery.
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Commercial Fishing
Commercial fishing is hard, dangerous work with low margins of profit. Combined with the fact that fishing boats are hard to police since they often remain in international waters, this makes commercial fishing attractive ground for forced labor.
A 2017 report by the International Labor Organization documented horrific accusations of abuse against undocumented laborers on tens of thousands of Thai fishing boats. Fishing boats stay at sea for years at a time, unloading their catch and resupplying from motherships out on the ocean, holding workers captive all the while.
The U.S. is the #1 consumer of this Thai seafood, and it is contained in almost every brand of wet dog and cat food sold here.
Slave Labor on Thai Fishing Boats
A New York Times article about a man named Lang Long who was taken from Cambodia and enslaved on a Thai fishing boat. Contains video, photos, and a full description of the conditions on these boats and the difficulties faced by who try to go free.
Human Rights Watch follow up and summary of its lengthy report called ‘Hidden Chains: Forced Labor and Rights Abuses in Thailand’s Fishing Industry.’
A report on Thai fishing slaves and how the fish they catch winds up sold in the United States. From the Associated Press.