A case brought by four Indonesian fishermen who are survivors of slavery at sea just cleared a major legal hurdle. A San Diego federal judge declined tuna giant Bumble Bee’s request to dismiss the suit, meaning the landmark case can now move forward toward trial. Freedom United has long supported efforts to hold Bumble Bee accountable and previously joined partners in signing an open letter demanding justice for the fishers.
Trace My Catch? Fake My Catch
Bumble Bee is accused of standing by while human trafficking and forced labor took place on boats hired as part of its “trusted fleet.” It comes on the back of a previous settlement launched by Greenpeace in 2022. Using Bumble Bee’s own “Trace My Catch” tool Greenpeace revealed an ugly truth. Bumble Bee was sourcing tuna from multiple ships US authorities suspected of using forced labor. Accordingly, the result was the company had to remove claims mentioning a “fair and safe supply chain” and “fair and responsible working conditions.” Sadly, this latest case shows Bumble Bee still stinks of slavery at sea.
Agnieszka Fryszman, a prominent human rights attorney from the firm Cohen Milstein who is the lead attorney for the plaintiffs said in an MSN article:
This is an important step towards making one of the world’s most dangerous jobs safer and more fair for the fishers who work so hard to put food on American consumers’ plates and who should not be subject to forced labor.
The plaintiffs in the case allege they were promised good jobs on boats part of Bumble Bee’s “trusted fleet.” Tragically, once onboard they were subjected to physical abuse, deprived of food, and denied medical care.
Fryszman stated:
… These men endured horrific physical abuse, hunger, and debt bondage while working aboard Bumble Bee’s so-called “trusted fleet” tuna vessels … We look forward to holding Bumble Bee fully accountable under the law.
After months of backbreaking labor and isolation at sea the men also had another nasty surprise. Unexpected fees and paycheck deductions had left them destitute in another form of modern slavery, debt bondage. That’s when they said enough is enough.
Legal success so far sending a powerful message
The boats the men were working on isn’t owned directly by Bumble Bee. It was hired by the company through a third party. But Bumble Bee was aware the boats were associated with forced labor. Thus the lawsuit alleges that in sourcing its tuna from boats with a known connection to forced labor, Bumble Bee was negligent in ensuring that its fleet of suppliers did not use forced labor. An accusation that puts Bumble Bee in violation of the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. Accordingly an accusation Bumble Bee denies, seeking to have the case thrown out. The judge’s refusal to do so is a victory for survivors everywhere.
One of the plaintiffs, Muhammad Syafi’i, said in a statement:
This gives me hope for justice for me and my fellow plaintiffs as we struggle for justice and change for the better. Our fight and sacrifice are not in vain in order to get justice for all of the fishers. I remain steadfast, strong, and enthusiastic.
Syafi’i felt overwhelmed by the judge’s ruling in their favor, sharing he was “actually in tears” when it was delivered. The judge said her ruling came down to evidence. And the evidence points to Bumble Bee having known about the prevalence of forced labor on vessels it used to source tuna.
Arifsyah Nasution, Global Project Lead for Beyond Seafood Campaign, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said:
With this ruling, all of Big Seafood is officially on notice: exploitation at sea could land you in court at home. It is well known that physical violence, excessive working hours, and lack of payment — all conditions alleged in this lawsuit—are prevalent in the fishing industry and exacerbated by the overexploitation of our oceans.
The judge’s ruling turned on the fact that the company knew, and “failed to take adequate steps” to prevent such practices. Enough is enough. It’s time to hold Bumble Bee, and all those who turn a blind eye to modern slavery, accountable.
This is a win for corporate accountability, and with continued persistence in calling on corporations to put people before profit, we can achieve more wins. Take action.
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