Unveiling the Dark Reality: Forced Labor on Chinese Fishing Vessels

A report by the Environmental Justice Foundation reveals the exploitation of North Korean workers on Chinese fishing vessels, violating UN bans. The study, based on interviews with other Asian crew members, uncovers forced labor conditions with North Koreans trapped at sea for years without shore leave.

A recent report by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has highlighted alarming human rights violations aboard Chinese distant-water fishing vessels, where North Korean crew members were reportedly used in contravention of United Nations sanctions. These North Koreans, according to the report, faced prolonged periods at sea, effectively enslaved for up to a decade.

EJF's findings are supported by interviews with Indonesian and Filipino crew members who confirmed efforts to conceal the presence of North Koreans. These workers, who were reportedly transferred between vessels through a practice called 'trans-shipment,' were deprived of basic rights and barred from land access, using mobile phones, and returning home.

The report underscores a broader issue of forced labor in the global fishing industry, pointing to significant shortcomings in international enforcement of labor rights and sanctions. China, along with Russia, has faced criticism for allegedly not fully enforcing these UN sanctions. The Chinese government has yet to comment on these revelations.