SOCIETY | SLAVERY | INDUSTRY
The Slavery Behind Your Seafood
Slavery is not yet a term to be resigned to the history books. The fishing industry continues the painful legacy into the 21st century.
It’s easy to believe slavery is only an issue of before. The trade winds are no longer filled with human cargo. The shackles have been removed. Yet it still exists, in some cases as rampant as ever. The fishing industry is rife with the inhumane practice. The question is, how do we stop it?
What nations are continuing the slave trade?
Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan are hotspots for enslavement. Don’t be fooled though, slavery occurs in the western world too. I was ashamed to find that it’s a problem in my home nation, the U.K.
Why is it happening?
David Tickler Ph.D. of the University of Western Australia has done extensive research into fishing-related slavery and collaborated on a publication named “Modern slavery and the race to fish”. His research paints a less than positive picture.
He has linked the declining catch with the growing slave labour demand. As fishing becomes less and less profitable, the captains and vessel…
