Forced labour and human trafficking are severe and prevalent human rights risks in fisheries. Isolation at sea, weak oversight, complex recruitment systems and worker dependency combine to create conditions in which exploitation flourishes undetected – and in which a worker who wants to leave physically cannot.
Common indicators include recruitment fees, debt bondage, document confiscation, withheld wages, excessive working hours, physical abuse, threats, deception regarding employment conditions and restrictions on workers’ ability to leave employment or disembark. No single indicator confirms forced labour, but each signals risk and warrants investigation.
Migrant fishers are particularly vulnerable where immigration status, language barriers or recruitment arrangements are used to exercise control. Extended periods at sea and limited access to grievance mechanisms prevent workers from seeking help or escaping abusive situations, and complex ownership structures further obscure responsibility and obstruct remedy.
Under national law, much of this conduct is criminal. Companies should also note their reporting obligations under modern slavery legislation, including the UK and Australian Modern Slavery Acts, and the growing use of import restrictions on goods made wholly or in part with forced labour — which seafood supply chains have been subject to more than most other sectors.
For more on forced labour and human trafficking, including the full set of risk indicators for transport supply chains, see the Risks Across Transport guidance.