However, while working with these organizations represents a positive step, it is not a substitute for robust policies guided by international instruments with clear plans for implementation. It does report, however, that it is currently piloting a risk-based human rights due diligence tool, which we could not consider for this survey. Charter Pricing Calendar / Book Now. & Keith, H. Global scope and economics of illegal fishing. Traceability and Auditsare covered in a very short section on the Sustainable Fisheries webpage, which focuses on shrimp. Amidst this, companies in Japan are turn Three-quarters of the companies surveyed claimed to be able to trace at least 90-99 percent of their tuna back to the vessel that caught it, but only 25 percent were able to do this 100 percent of the time. Finally, Albertsons cited its use of two widely available third-party audit certifications as evidence of its work to engage migrant workers in auditing and assessment processes; however, we had hoped to see a deeper and more deliberate approach to this important area. The tuna commodity frontier: business strategies and environment in the industrial tuna fisheries of the Western Indian Ocean. Currently, discussion of human rights at Giant Eagle is focused on inclusivity, racial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights, for which they earned a score of 90 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundations 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). While Whole Foodss policies are strong on environmental issues, there are a number of gaps in relation to Human Rights that resulted in a to a very disappointing score, dragging down their overall score and rank. Greenpeace commends the commitment to sourcing from fisheries that are certified sustainable or involved in a FIP. In addition, they could be much more selective in the catch methods and species that they stock, receiving a low score for stocking a number of higher-risk species or catch methods. The severity of environmental and human rights abuses documented in the fishing industry make the need for publicly available information even more pressing. The scale of global capture fisheries can be difficult to fathom. Tuna is a type of fish mostly found in saltwater and the tuna which are processed and sealed in airtight container for longer shelf life and easy transport are called as canned tuna. The tuna fishing vessels, which are designed as per the highest international standards, include fish processing lines of -20 degrees and a . Aldis framework for supplier evaluation and traceability looks promising, and we look forward to reporting positive results in the future when it is fully implemented across the supply chain. Despite years of guidance from international bodies, academic and NGO research and reports, shocking media exposs, and increasing consumer awareness, many companies have continued to ignore their responsibilities, while others have opted for surface level changes without the deep engagement and understanding required to address these serious issues. Refusing to stock brands associated with IUU fishing and other damaging environmental practices or human rights abuse would promote their own efforts further and provide clarity for their customers. Tuna are among the world's most popular fish and therefore among the most commercially valuable. Greenpeace recognizes Walmarts role as a founder and instrumental member of theSeafood Taskforce, a coalition of businesses and NGOs working to improve sustainability in the Thai seafood supply chain. Such a degree of centralization with long, winding chains linking just a few companies to most of the tuna consumed in wealthier countries increases the likelihood of fish caught illegally or under abusive conditions ending up on supermarket shelves. When used in this way, they help to identify key indicators of forcedlabor, as well as mitigating important issues such as isolation. The catches of many vessels are amalgamated onto one reefer, often beyond the reach of authorities, increasing the potential for fraud and laundering of illegally caught fish. We recognize that organizing fishers remains limited and challenging; however, incentivizing those that do through preferential sourcing will have a positive impact on the wider industry. Where business enterprises identify that they have caused or contributed to adverse impacts, they should provide for or cooperate in their remediation through legitimate processes. UNGP. Both stood out, though in a field where the bar was already fairly low; nearly one-third of companies scored zero or worse on Human Rights. [52] As a result, those working in fishing may have few livelihood options or have other characteristics that set them apart from the majority population, are especially vulnerable to abuse and more often found in forced labor, putting them at higher risk of abuse. [104] One of the purposes of this survey is to encourage and reward specific commitments in line with internationally recognized instruments and initiatives, and Aldi scored higher than most as a result of reference to these in their policies. Target has also implemented a due diligence framework that appears well-considered and relatively comprehensive, including gathering a range of information from vessels in its supply chain. All of the companies included in this report had some form of policy covering environmental and human rights aspects of their businesses. Their Human Rights score was very poor (6.5), managing to stand out in a very poor field, coming third from last. However, considering the example of the positive change driven by a decade of CATO reports, this report is ultimately optimistic. Similarly disappointing for a company of Costcos size and influence was their failure to advocate for better policy, scoring second from bottom on theAdvocacysection. All at Sea: An Evaluation of Company Efforts to Address Modern Slavery in Pacific Supply Chains of Canned Tuna, https://media.business-humanrights.org/media/documents/Tuna_II_v6.pdf, https://www.oxfam.org/en/take-action/campaigns/end-suffering-behind-your-food/supermarkets-scorecard/, https://www.worldbenchmarkingalliance.org/publication/chrb/, https://www.fao.org/publications/sofia/2020/en/, 20.5kg per capita = 1kg = 2.205LBS (97m/T 22m/T = 75m/T \7.6bn (people) = 9.8kg. Costco did not complete a survey but provided links to seafood sustainability resources, which, together with further publicly available information, were analyzed and used to score the survey. Because the survey scores retailers on programs that are currently in place, Aldi was unable to score points for initiatives that are currently in the pilot stage or not fully implemented. 17 October 2018, at 4:36pm Two weeks ago Spanish newspaper El Confidencial released a major story on a large investigation by the Guardia Civil, targeting Spain's largest tuna farmer Richardo Fuentes y Hijos and several processing companies. [93], Documentation of pay is also a longstanding issue for workers in the fishing industry. Targets performance for the advocacy section was very disappointing, particularly for a retailer of its size; not least for the positive influence its leadership could have on the industry at large to drive much needed positive change. Targets explicit requirement of 100% observer coverage for tuna that is transhipped at sea is a strong starting point, but the more companies that prohibit this risky practice altogether and independently audit to ensure compliance the more quickly it can be eradicated. A grievance, according to the UN, is perceived injustice against an individual or group; a grievance mechanism is the routine process through which grievances concerning business-related human rights abuse can be raised and remedied.[102]. (2019), Major tuna brands failing to tackle slavery in Pacific supply chains report. Commun. Wegmans did not complete a survey; as a result, publicly available information mostly drawn from their Seafood Sustainability website was analyzed and used to score the survey. Their best performing section was Traceability, but with just 37 percent, they still failed to make a passing grade. This fact makes the poor performance of other large companies such as Target and Costco stand out, scoring seven and two respectively compared to Aldis 24. [17] It is estimated that more than half of high seas fishing grounds would be rendered unprofitable if subsidies were eliminated. As the UNGPs suggest, existing frameworks such as this can be augmented and improved to include human rights issues. The lives and livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people, mostly in less developed countries, are intrinsically connected to the health of our oceans. [55]International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), Flags of convenience, website: https://www.itfglobal.org/en/sector/seafarers/flags-of-convenience, [56]Tickler, D. et al. This included letters sent to the Taiwanese Government, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), the UN and the US Government, and included advocacy conducted as part of larger associations, such as the Global Tuna Alliance (GTA) or Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). Publix also works with a number of important sustainability-focused organizations, including the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI). Nearly 60% of the world's tuna comes from the Pacific alone, and consistent claims of human rights abuses of workers at sea - ranging from non-payment of wages and physical abuse to fishermen. Hotlines and other tools should not be considered to be an end in themselves, but without statistics it is difficult to make a meaningful assessment of the utility of such hotlines. Their traceability work including risk assessments and audits in partnership with FishWise, looks robust and well-considered, providing a strong framework on which to add an increased focus on human rights. Catch volumes for 2018, the most recent recorded year, were up more than 12 percent compared with six years earlier.[25]. The lack of any human rights policy, or mention of human rights issues in their seafood policy, meant that they scored almost no points for entire sections of the survey. The questions in this section are designed to reward companies who go beyond social audits to take an engaged and active responsibility for the potentially adverse human rights impacts caused by their business operations and supply chain. UN FAO, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, website: https://www.un.org/regularprocess/woa2launch, Pauly, D. & Zeller, D. Catch reconstructions reveal that global marine fisheries catches are higher than reported and declining. In the open ocean, where resources and shelter are scarce, often rudimentary floating rafts act as Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs), attracting animals from far and wide, alongside the target tuna. & Keith, H. Global scope and economics of illegal fishing. Large segments of the industry rely on refrigerated cargo vessels (reefers) to transfer catch and resupply crew and provisions, meaning many vessels can stay at sea for months without returning to port. Only Meijer, whose policy does not cover canned tuna, failed to cover at least 90 percent. International labor Organization (ILO) (2017), . Rising living standards in more developed fishing countries has led to domestic labor shortages, while a surplus of domestic and migrant labor in developing countries has polarized labor supply and demand, pushing many to seek work in other countries as migrant fishing crew. While this work sounds positive, we are unable to consider it this year, but hope to report positive developments in the future. Simply establishing a hotline or online reporting portal represents a top down approach and fails to consider how workers in the supply chain in factories or aboard vessels are most likely to report issues. Withholding of wages is one of the ILOs 11 indicators of forced labor.[94]. An absence of binding, international legal frameworks makes it easy to conceal or distort a vessels identity, ownership or movements. Seafood Industry Contacts & Information By Countryseafood & fish suppliers, seafood processors, fish processors, fish processing companies, industrial food processing equipment suppliers, wholesalers, marine industry, aquaculture, exporters, importers and government bodies Custom Search Seafood & Fish Suppliers | One impressive and stand-out feature of this work was their product sourcing grid essentially a table of all of the species they stock, country of origin, source, catch method, and sustainability rating, which is updated twice a year. While these initiatives represent positive developments, retailers also need to take a more active role in fostering much needed transparency within their supply chains, and the tuna industry at large. Part of this framework includes specific engagement with migrant workers and the recognition they represent a vulnerable group within the supply chain. The following table reflects the distribution of raw points and percentage weighting for each category: The intention of this report is to provide an assessment of retailers tuna supply chain policies that gives consideration to both environmental and human rights concerns. Nat Commun 9, 4643 (2018). Unfortunately, Wegmans still sources Pacific bluefin tuna (farmed) and orange roughy, despite their highly endangered status, a decision that saw them drop four places in the 2018 CATO report. While there are many forms this can take, the UNGPs establish six key characteristics of effective grievance mechanism: In view of the importance of grievance mechanisms to the effectiveness of human rights due diligence and other work, it is vital that they are well-considered, fit for purpose and accessible. While nearly all retailers had policies in place, few contained the level of details and references to international instruments, including the UNGPs and ILO principles. Despite being endorsed over a decade ago, many companies are still failing. Accessibility including availability of necessary technology or internet connections, language barriers, and awareness remains a major stumbling block for generic hotlines. Hotlines are no substitute for a worker-centered approach that closely considers how to most effectively provide a mechanism for them to make their voices heard. In 2018, Oxfam assessed 16 international supermarkets on transparency and treatment of workers, small-scale farmers, and women in their supply chains including some of those covered by this survey and found failure across the board. The Environment category was more competitive, where considerable awareness raising and work means that even some of the worst laggards have made steady improvements on their environmental sourcing policies. We categorized our questions in the manner described above in order to give appropriate emphasis to qualitatively distinct areas of retailer responsibility. In order to encourage this work generally, and promote advocacy to key policy-makers on specific pivotal issues, Greenpeace scored companies for their involvement in advocacy. As one of the few companies to rank lower in the Environment category than Human Rights, coming in tenth, though on just 19 points they were some way behind even ninth-placed Costco on 31.5. Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Show more. Commun. Modern slavery and the race to fish. 702 H Street NW, Suite 300 By Caroline Thomason, RDN Published on May 11, 2023 | 2:20 PM FACT CHECKED BY Samantha Boesch Shutterstock The limited actions taken by retailers thus far have been widely considered inadequate by advocates. Walmart has the makings of many important aspects of environmental and human rights due diligence, and with some additions could significantly improve its score. FCF alone deals with over 500,000 tons of tuna annually, supplying its own brands, as well as the worlds largest tuna canner Thai Union, which produces around 18 percent of global canned tuna as well as Thailands other two largest tuna canneries. as a result of destructive tuna fishing practices. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) (2020), The socio-economic value of tuna, website: TOP 10 LIST FOR SEAFOOD CONSUMPTION, website: https://aboutseafood.com/about/top-ten-list-for-seafood-consumption/. Target scored well for having comprehensive, publicly available seafood and human rights policies, as well as more detailed and prescriptive guidance for suppliers. The specific nature of this surveys questions accounts for the low score of vague and outdated policies. On some of their own key metrics and targets such as sourcing 90 percent of wild caught seafood from certified fisheries they appear to be going backwards. In 2018, after more than a decade of development, the FAO launched the Global Record Information System, an up to date register of vessels involved in fishing including reefers and supply vessels based on information received from State authorities and regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). But, over the years these principles have moved from the fringe to the mainstream and now even those who looked at us with blank faces have policies and commitments in place. Whole Foodscompleted their own survey and ranked fourth overall, coming top in the Environment category by a strong margin, which drove their overall ranking. Aholds human rights due diligence framework was considerably more advanced than many other retailers, many of which had nothing at all. They ranked 13th and 16th in the Environment and Human Rights categories respectively. American Tuna products are MSC Certified Sustainable and traceable back to the harvesting vessel guaranteed by a 3rd party audit. Walmart was one of the only companies to have a stand-alone section on human rights, which covers all of its business operations, as well as those of its suppliers and other third parties. Modern slavery and the race to fish. It contributed an average of 4% to gross domestic On human rights, Southeast Grocers must first establish a human rights policy covering their entire supply chain, with specific considerations given to high-risk activities such as fishing. Without clear and informative labelling, customers are unable to make truly informed decisions. Targets strong placement in the Human Rights category was somewhat undermined by a mid-table ranking for Environment. In line with this, Walmart ranked 3rdfor its advocacy work, behind Aldi and Ahold Delhaize, and just ahead of Whole Foods. Note: Any other kind of packing can be done as per request. Despite 2018s catch being 12 percent larger than 2012, the amount paid to fishers was half a billion dollars less, leading some to suggest that ideal catch levels for maximum economic benefit may in fact be lower than the determined maximum sustainable yield (MSY). A vessel may be owned or based in one country, flagged to another, fish in the waters of many or none in the case of the high seas and be crewed by a range of nationalities employed in different roles. Fishers aboard these vessels, in addition to spending extremely long periods at sea, will find it difficult to report abuse, injuries, or deaths, and seek assistance. In 2018 alone, nearly 100 million tons of fish were harvested from our seas an increase of more than five percent in just three years with a total first sale value of more than $150 billion. Unfortunately, it seems that more time and energy has gone into the presentation of what they do, but not nearly enough into the detail of their policies. All-inclusive package, best sportfishing tackle in the word with local anglers in La Paz Baja Mexico Tuna Fishing Company | La Paz The ILO asserts that trade unions are important for protecting fishers rights, but that union membership is extremely low amongst fishers. Legitimatedeductionsmay be made for advances, while illegal deductions for a range of reasons have also been regularly documented. In this end of the table, many retailers are separated by only a few points, meaning small improvements in policy and practice could have a significant impact on rank. Sari Usaha Mandiri is a fishing company operated in Bitung with main fishing ground are Celebes and Moluccas Sea. Engagement with organizations such as the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) is also a positive sign, but must be part of a more engaged approach to sustainable seafood sourcing, including robust policy and ongoing monitoring and oversight. From weaknesses and gaps in certification schemes and the continued prevalence of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, to the exploitation and abuse of often vulnerable crew aboard vessels beyond the reach of authorities and regulators, seafood supply chains are rife with risk. [1]While many of the larger, international brands chose to complete the Greenpeace survey, many of the smaller, US-based brands did not. Amongst companies that completed their own survey, Meijer scored the lowest by far, coming dead last in half of the survey sections as well as the overall Environment category. Greenpeace (2020), Choppy Waters: Forced labor and Illegal Fishing in Taiwans Distant Water Fisheries, , https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-. 50Kgs. Responses to questions in the six categories named above were given raw point scores, which were then weighted and aggregated to provide a final percentage score. Levels of governance and oversight also vary considerably and involve many actors, including Port, Flag, Market and Coastal States, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) and other international regulatory and certification bodies such as the United Nations and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), presenting a range of governance challenges.