US Customs claims Fijian-flagged fishing vessel used forced labour [1]
Monday, August 9, 2021 - 11:46. Updated on Monday, August 9, 2021 - 11:54.
US border agencies will detain tuna and other seafood harvested by the Hangton 112, a Fijian flagged and owned fishing vessel, under a Withhold Release Order issued by the US Customs and Border Protection CBP, which claims the use of forced labour on the vessel.
The Withhold Release Order effective on August 4, was based on information that indicated the use of forced labour in the longliner vessel’s fishing operations, according to a media release from CBP on Wednesday.
“CBP identified at least three out of the International Labour Organiszation’s 11 indicators of forced labour [2] during its investigation: withholding of wages, debt bondage, and retention of identity documents,” the CBP stated.
“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,” said the CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller. “CBP will continue to stand up against these vessels’ abusive labour practices by preventing the introduction of their unethically-harvested seafood into the US market.”
According to a Greenpeace statement on 6 August, the Hangton 112 had been previously investigated by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Indonesian Migrant /Workers Union. Its findings were published in a document Seabound: the Journey to Modern Slavery on the HIgh Seas, in December 2019.
“This action demonstrates the need for significant government action to get forced labour out the the fishing industry,” said J. Park Senior Ocean Campaigner from Greenpeace US.
Flag states
Flag states need to uphold international standards and perform proper oversight and safety of their ships so decent work at sea can be achieved, said Hariyanto Suwarno, chairmand of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Union.