June 11, 2014

Slavery in the seafood supply chain

located:	Thailand
editor:	Vanessa Ellingham

A six-month investigation by The Guardian has revealed that slavery is used in the production of prawns for international supermarkets, including Walmart, Tesco, Carrefour and Aldi UK.

Huge numbers of men are being held captive on Thai ships, where they are forced to work for no pay in extreme conditions under the threat of extraordinary violence.

Escaped workers have reported incidences of 20-hour shifts, being fed methamphetamines in order to keep working, regular beatings, torture and exposure to countless execution-style killings.

The Guardian's investigation found that Thailand-based CP Foods, the world's largest prawn farmer, feeds its prawns fishmeal which has been caught on these 'ghost ships'.

CP Foods supplies Walmart, Tesco, Carrefour and Aldi UK, as well as Costco, Morrisons, the Co-operative and Iceland.

Since news broke yesterday, the US is considering blacklisting Thailand, downgrading the nation to its lowest labour conditions status which could also result in economic sanctions.