US blocks seafood from Chinese-operated Fiji fishing boat accused of enslaving crew
- US says crew subjected to conditions defined as forced labour under international standards
- Hangton No. 112 is operated by a Chinese national and based in the Pacific island nation of Fiji
A tuna fishing boat based in the Pacific island nation of Fiji that has been accused of essentially enslaving its crew was blocked Wednesday from importing seafood into the United States, part of an increasing effort to keep goods produced with forced labour from entering the country.
US Customs and Border Protection issued an order to stop any shipments in American ports from the Hangton No. 112, a longliner operated by a Chinese national, after the agency determined there was credible evidence that the crew was subjected to conditions defined as forced labour under international standards.
“Foreign fishing vessels like the Hangton No. 112 continue to lure vulnerable migrant workers into forced labour situations so that they can sell seafood below market value, which threatens the livelihoods of American fishermen,” CBP Acting Commissioner Troy Miller said in a statement released ahead of the announcement of the order.
“CBP will continue to stand up against these vessels’ abusive labour practices by preventing the introduction of their unethically harvested seafood into the US market.”
Records show about US$40 million in tuna and other fish from the Hangton No. 112 have been imported into the US market in recent years despite industry efforts to address the issue, said Ana Hinojosa, executive director of the CBP directorate that investigates allegations of forced labour. The agency does not publicly identify the importers who received the shipments.
