This week, SeafoodSource is waiting, along with the entire Thai seafood industry and any importers that source from Thailand, to see the latest Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report from the U.S. State Department.
The Thai government and fishing industry have been under intense pressure to stop what is being described as modern-day human slavery
There are two possible outcomes: Upgrade Thailand to Tier 2, which would mean the country has made enough of a dent in human trafficking problems to prove it’s taking the matter seriously, or downgrade Thailand to Tier 3, the lowest possible grade, a move that will surely lead to trade sanctions of some kind.
Some of the more graphic depictions of the trafficking issue have come in two disturbing reports, the first from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) in June 2013, depicting the results of the NGO’s investigation. The other came earlier this month from The Guardian, a British newspaper that spent six months proving that CP Foods, one of the largest shrimp producers in Thailand, was sourcing fishmeal from fishing vessels that were virtual floating prisons.
Since it’s known that the state department releases its TIP report in June, one cannot consider these accounts without acknowledging that their release may have been timed to artificially ramp up emotions as a last-minute pitch to give Thailand as big a black eye as possible. That said, if even half of what these reports allege is true, it is a study in draconian brutality that is only made even more disgusting when one
Despite this, there are a number of arguments for upgrading Thailand’s status. It’s been said by a number of critics, including one of our own bloggers, that Thailand and the fishing industry there have come a long way in correcting the problem, and they deserve credit, not more embarrassment. Maybe, but even if there’s less of it going on than there used to be, the abuses are still happening, and the Guardian article has CP Foods’ U.K. rep on record saying they know their
Thailand has been at the state department’s “Tier 2 watch” status for four years now, and the problem, along with outrage against it, predates that. We’re not talking about phasing out trawling gear here, eliminating bycatch or adjusting to new longline fishing grounds. These are human lives being destroyed. It shouldn’t take more than four years to figure out a better way to go fishing.
Even if we acknowledge some Thai companies are genuinely working their way through a process that is taking a while, it is equally possible that some companies are still connected to trafficking after more than four years because they simply don’t want to do anything about it. Easing up on public and diplomatic pressure now would only send the message to those companies that it’s not necessary to stop dragging innocent immigrants onto their boats; all they have to do is fly far enough below the radar, or make just enough of an effort to “correct” the problem to shut the hippies up, then it’s back to business as usual.
The state department needs to consider the downgrade, just as the industry needs to consider keeping a closer eye on its suppliers. French retailer Carrefour made headlines when it said it was suspending shrimp purchases from CP due to the Guardian article. Still, the retailer said it had conducted a “social audit” just last year, and saw nothing unusual.
Clearly, Carrefour didn’t look closely enough, which should be a cautionary tale for anyone who sources seafood from Thailand. When was the last time you audited your supplier? Are you sure you’re not inadvertently supporting this kind of behavior?
