Saving Seafood

Thailand’s proposed rollback of fisheries reforms worries NGOs

November 21, 2023 — Thailand has proposed a reversal of a series of fisheries reforms it implemented over the past eight years.

The move has ignited concern among NGOs and international representatives who fear the lawlessness and lack of oversight that once defined the country’s fishing sector may return. In a letter issued in October 2023, a coalition of 84 civil society organizations, including the Environmental Justice Foundation, Greenpeace, Conservation International, Oxfam, and Oceana collectively urged Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to oppose any rollback.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

American Shrimp Processors Association push for duties on imported shrimp from four countries

October 26, 2023 — The American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA), an organization representing the interests of U.S. wild-caught warmwater shrimp processing, has filed trade petitions seeking additional antidumping and countervailing duties on imported shrimp.

The trade petitions, which the ASPA said are intended to address unfair dumping and illegal subsidies, consist of a request for antidumping duties on imported frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador and Indonesia, and countervailing duties on imported shrimp from Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Trafficking in Persons Report maintains previous ranking of Taiwan, Thailand, upgrades Vietnam

June 16, 2023 — The U.S. Department of State released its annual Trafficking in Persons Report on 15 June, revealing Taiwan and Thailand retained the rankings they held in previous years, despite calls from environmental and labor organizations for them to be downgraded.

The TIP report classifies countries into multiple tiers – Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List, and Tier 3 – based on the prevalence of forced labor and human trafficking in the countries, with a lower number representing a country of lower concern.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Seafood Working Group urges downgrade of Thailand, Taiwan in forthcoming US Trafficking in Persons Report

June 5, 2023 — The Seafood Working Group is calling for the downgrade of Thailand and Taiwan in the forthcoming 2023 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report.

The Seafood Working group is composed of 28 organizations including the International Labor Rights Forum (GLJ-ILRF), Greenpeace USA, and the Environmental Justice Foundation that was formed to advocate for effective government policies and industry actions to end labor exploitation, illegal fishing, and overfishing in the global seafood industry.

Read the full at SeafoodSource

Asian countries feature on US Labor Department report for child, forced labor

October 3, 2022 — Taiwan and Thailand both feature prominently on the new edition of a U.S. Department of Labor report on child and forced labor, which identifies abuses in both countries’ seafood sectors.

Released 28 September, 2022, the “List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor,” dinged Taiwan and Thailand for alleged use of forced labor in their fishing sectors, while Thailand also received mention for alleged use of child and forced labor in its shrimp-processing industry.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NGOs accuse US of playing geopolitics in Trafficking in Persons national rankings

August 1, 2022 — Non-governmental organizations and fishing industry groups have had sharply differing reactions to the latest edition of the U.S. government’s Trafficking in Persons (TIP), which was published 19 July, 2022.

The latest edition of TIP, published annually the U.S. State Department, kept Taiwan at Tier One status while upgrading Thailand and Ireland to Tier Two, despite claims of labor abuse in the fishing industries of all three states. Those rankings dismayed some fisheries-focused NGOs, who said geopolitical considerations are blunting Washington’s ability to curb labor abuses in global fisheries.

Read the full article at SeaFoodSource

Thai Union Chairman Kraisorn Chansiri resigns following insider trading fine

April 18, 2022 — Thai Union Founder and Chairman Kraisorn Chansiri has resigned after receiving civil sanctions from Thailand’s Security and Exchange Commission for alleged insider trading.

In an 18 April, 2022, letter to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, where the company’s stock is traded, Thai Union said Chansiri and Thai Union Executive Director Chuan Tangchansiri will resign “in order to show their sincerity and prevent any negative impacts on the company.”

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Thai Union Chairman Kraisorn Chansiri, eight others fined for insider trading

April 1, 2022 — Nine individuals, including the founder and chairman of Thai Union, have been issued civil sanctions by Thailand’s Security and Exchange Commission after an investigation revealed they engaged in insider trading of the company’s stock.

Bangkok, Thailand-based Thai Union was founded by Kraisorn Chansiri in 1977, and has grown to become one of the world’s largest seafood companies, with USD 4.2 billion (EUR 3.8 billion) and USD 200 million (EUR 181.2 million) in net profit in 2020. Its shares are traded publicly on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

Labor campaign groups call for embargo on Thai net-makers, citing unpaid prisoners

February 25, 2022 — A group of campaigners is calling on the U.S. government to ensure U.S. companies do not import fishing nets made by Thai companies allegedly using forced prison labor.

An expose written by Thai journalist Nanchanok Wongsamuth, published in December 2021, profiled prisoners who said they and hundreds of other inmates were forced to make nets for less than Thailand’s minimum wage, and were often not paid at all. The prisoners also alleged beatings and torture if they refused to work.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Facing “double whammy,” China’s processors forced to pass on costs

August 23, 2021 — China’s seafood importers could be looking at price rises due to port congestion and higher freight costs, according to a Siam Canadian executive.

Most Chinese processors are renegotiating their contracted prices due to rising costs for raw materials and freight, according to Landy Chow, the general manager of Bangkok, Thailand-based seafood trader Siam Canadian Group’s Guangzhou office.

Read the full story at Seafood Source