In this episode of the How to Protect the Ocean podcast, host Andrew Lewin dives into the topic of ecolabels in seafood consumption. Picture yourself enjoying a delicious sushi lunch, knowing you've made an eco-conscious choice by selecting certified sustainable seafood. Andrew discusses the importance of following organizations like Seafood Watch and the Marine Stewardship Council to ensure responsible seafood sourcing. However, he also addresses the imperfections of these ecolabels and raises critical questions about their effectiveness and future. Join the conversation as Andrew explores whether these ecolabels can improve or if we need to rethink our reliance on them.
Tune in for insights on how to better protect our oceans through informed choices.
Link to article:
Oceana article: https://oceana.org/press-releases/tuna-vessels-using-forced-labor-under-msc-ecolabel/
Natasha Nakamura article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44183-024-00074-6
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The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Its Shortcomings in Tracking Forced Labor in Tuna Fisheries
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an organization that certifies fisheries as sustainable and responsible, providing consumers with an eco-label that signifies adherence to specific environmental and ethical standards. However, recent discussions have highlighted significant shortcomings in the MSC's ability to effectively track forced labor within tuna fisheries.
Reliance on Self-Reported Information
One of the primary issues with the MSC's certification process is its reliance on self-reported information from trade associations, manufacturers, and distributors. This means that the MSC does not require direct reporting from vessel owners or operators, who are the entities where forced labor is most likely to occur. As noted in a recent podcast episode, researcher Katrina Nakamura, who analyzed data from tuna vessels, found that 74% of MSC-certified sustainable tuna was untraceable to the vessel owners or fishing employers. This lack of traceability raises serious concerns about the integrity of the MSC certification.
Lack of Monitoring and Accountability
The MSC's standards do not include provisions for monitoring the actual conditions aboard fishing vessels. There are no requirements for fisheries observers or human rights monitors to be present on these vessels, which means that the MSC is not actively verifying the claims made by the self-reporting entities. This creates a significant loophole, allowing vessels associated with human trafficking and forced labor to benefit from the MSC eco-label without any accountability.
Katrina Nakamura's research revealed that it was relatively easy for her to identify multiple cases of forced labor on vessels certified by the MSC. She highlighted that if she could find this information quickly, it is hard to believe that the MSC could be unaware of these issues. This suggests a troubling lack of diligence on the part of the MSC in ensuring that its certified fisheries are genuinely free from forced labor practices.
Implications for Consumers
For consumers, the MSC label is often seen as a guarantee of ethical and sustainable seafood. However, the findings discussed in the podcast indicate that this trust may be misplaced. The MSC has acknowledged concerns about forced labor and human rights abuses in the tuna supply chain but continues to advise consumers to choose MSC-certified tuna as a way to reduce exposure to these risks. This advice is problematic, as it does not reflect the reality of the situation, where many certified fisheries may still be complicit in labor abuses.
Call for Improvement
The podcast emphasizes the need for the MSC to implement more robust measures to protect vulnerable workers in the fishing industry. This includes requiring that vessel owners be identified and screened against publicized lists of implicated vessels, as well as establishing stricter monitoring protocols to ensure compliance with human rights standards.
In conclusion, while the MSC plays a crucial role in promoting sustainable fishing practices, its current approach to tracking forced labor within tuna fisheries is inadequate. By relying on self-reported information and failing to monitor conditions aboard vessels, the MSC risks undermining its own credibility and the trust of consumers who seek to make ethical choices in their seafood consumption. Addressing these shortcomings is essential for ensuring that the MSC can fulfill its mission of promoting sustainability and protecting human rights in the fishing industry.
The Shortcomings of Ecolabels in Tuna Fisheries: A Closer Look at Forced Labor
In a recent episode of the "How to Protect the Ocean" podcast, host Andrew Lewin delves into the critical issue of forced labor within tuna fisheries, particularly focusing on the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and its certification processes. While ecolabels like the MSC are designed to assure consumers that the seafood they purchase is sustainably sourced and ethically produced, the reality is far more complex and troubling.
The Role of Ecolabels
Ecolabels serve as a guide for consumers who want to make responsible choices regarding their seafood consumption. They are intended to indicate that the seafood has been sourced from fisheries that adhere to sustainable practices and respect human rights. The MSC, for instance, certifies fisheries based on self-reported information from trade associations, manufacturers, and distributors. This system is meant to ensure that the entire supply chain—from fishing vessels to processing companies—operates under ethical standards.
The Problem of Forced Labor
However, the podcast highlights significant gaps in the MSC's reporting and monitoring processes, particularly concerning forced labor. Katrina Nakamura's recent publication in Nature reveals alarming statistics: 74% of MSC-certified sustainable tuna was found to be untraceable to the vessel owners or fishing employers. This lack of traceability raises serious questions about the conditions under which the fish are caught.
Nakamura's research indicates that approximately 128,000 fishers are trapped in forced labor aboard fishing vessels. These individuals often work under hazardous conditions, receive little to no pay, and are subjected to physical and psychological abuse. The podcast emphasizes that many of these vessels are certified by the MSC, which claims to uphold high standards for human rights and sustainability.
Self-Reporting and Accountability
One of the most concerning aspects of the MSC's certification process is its reliance on self-reported information. The podcast points out that the MSC does not screen vessels against publicized lists of labor abuses, which allows companies associated with human trafficking and forced labor to benefit from the ecolabel. This creates a loophole where unethical practices can go unchecked, undermining the very purpose of the ecolabel.
Andrew Lewin stresses that while the MSC is undertaking a monumental task in certifying fisheries globally, it must improve its standards and monitoring processes. The absence of on-board inspections and human rights observers means that the MSC is not adequately addressing the realities of forced labor in the fishing industry.
Recommendations for Improvement
To combat these issues, Oceana is advocating for world governments to adopt the Global Charter of Fisheries Transparency. This charter outlines essential policy priorities to improve fisheries management and address human rights abuses at sea. It includes measures such as collecting data on the conditions of fishing vessel crews and making this information publicly available while protecting personal identities.
In the United States, Oceana is pushing for the expansion of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to cover all seafood imports, as currently only 45% are monitored. This expansion would help ensure that all seafood production standards, including those related to forced labor, are enforced.
Conclusion
The podcast episode serves as a wake-up call for consumers and organizations alike. While ecolabels like the MSC aim to promote sustainable and ethical seafood consumption, the reality is that significant shortcomings exist in their monitoring and reporting processes. As consumers, it is crucial to remain informed and advocate for better practices within the seafood industry. The fight against forced labor in tuna fisheries is not just about protecting the ocean; it is also about safeguarding the rights and lives of the individuals who depend on these resources for their livelihoods.
Want you to picture this you're in a restaurant maybe a sushi restaurant You've gone out for sushi with some friends or a group of co-workers for lunch, and you're ready to chow down You're ready to just mow down all you can eat sushi you get the toonie spot to the spicy roll It's great. You know you it's got a little bit of a kick It's tuna so you know It's good It's good fish and you're eating it and eating it and eating it and you're eating it because you've done the responsible thing And looking at the restaurant making sure that it follows like the eco labels and to be sure that hey You know what this restaurant is buying certified Sustainable seafood right once you do that No guilt right you try to do the best you can because you've been on the you've been listening to the how to protect the ocean podcast and Andrew has said Follow seafood watch follow the marine stewardship council follow all these eco labels because they've done the work to do the best They can to make sure that the seafood that you're eating is the best and if it's if it isn't that you should avoid It should tell you that you should avoid it or doesn't support it And that's what we we do. We we trust in these type of eco label eco labels But are these eco labels perfect? No, and today we're going to talk about one of the major reasons why they're not perfect and why they need to do better But we're also going to talk about is this the end of these eco labels. It's going to be a really interesting conversation Let's talk about on this episode of how to protect the ocean podcast. Let's start the show Hey everybody welcome back to another exciting episode of the how to protect the ocean podcast I'm your host Andrew Lewin and this is the podcast where you find out what's happening with the ocean How you can speak up for the ocean and what you can do to live for a better ocean by taking action and on today's episode We're gonna be talking about tuna fish. We're gonna be talking about tuna fisheries as we did on Monday's episode two episodes ago Where we had the ISS F on the show. It's the international sustainable seafood Foundation on the show and to talk to Vincent's Restrepo Dr.. Dr.. Restrepo to talk about, you know, just the sort of the annual report on tuna fisheries We talked about how you know some of the busting some of the myths of you know What it is to do to over fish or what you know dolphins in seafood or in tuna fish and so forth But we also taught and where the that's actually concentrated But we also talked about some of the the shortcomings of the tuna fisheries You know and not being able to track everything in these regional fissuring management areas the armfos And so, you know, we're gonna we're gonna talk a little bit more about that because there was a new publication in nature the ocean sustainability section and It was a article that was penned by by Katrina Nakamura and Katrina talks about how the Marine Stewardship Council falls short of reporting on Forced labor. This is fishery slavery's. This is basically where people are go on boats They get coaxed to come on boats to get paid for, you know, fishing boats But then they never get off or that it takes a while before they get off and they're treated like crap They're treated essentially like slaves like modern day slaves. These are people who are not fed properly They're not they don't have access to clean water clean. Just clean anything. It's horrible the way they're they're they're they're treated It's a lot of times if they get sick. They're thrown overboard and because tuna fisheries are so far off shore It's really difficult to monitor them and so when we talk about forced labor and the reporting that the Marine Stewardship Council requires You know, we have to start holding them to a better standard than what is actually Reported by Katrina in this article. So I'm gonna put the link to the article so that you can check it out I highly recommend it I've also looked at sort of a summary that Oceana has published because they're advertising this across social media that I've seen And they're they're letting people know that the MSC the eco label may not be what it seems to be especially when it comes to forced Label forced labor because of what they demand in terms of what they demand for reporting on forced labor So we're gonna talk about that all in a good time. We're gonna do that. But before we do I want to Talk to you about something that I find really important on the program a number of times we've talked about You know Conservation we've talked about jobs and we've talked about something that's really Important when we when we get jobs, you know, you want to get a job at an eco label You want to get a job, you know in research. You want to get a job working for a nonprofit organization like Oceana a lot of times You'll see like program manager or policy analyst or like different, you know, office jobs Even field jobs or jobs have a field component that require some type of project management and You don't get project management courses always available to you at your university So you may not have done it in undergrad. You may not have even done it in grad school You may not even know what it's all about you may already have the skills But you just don't understand what those skills are because you've never really taken it and you may have just just Incorporate them in your job anyway So some of you may get those jobs based on what you've experienced But others need a little help and that's something like I do when I did my communications course with conservation careers They're offering a product a program management a project management course So you can look at what it actually takes to become a product like a program manager and what it is for conservation specific for conservation and You have the chance to be able to take this course online You know, it's asynchronous so you can just take it and watch the videos and do whatever you need There's somebody who's there to monitor all your tasks and all your reports and things like that that you have to hand in for the course To help you get better at that. There's a great group that you can use to help you throughout that And what while you're watching the videos asking questions and so forth and support your work that you're doing Through a app called circle and it's fantastic. You get it. It's all seamless They put you on the app you get to look at that app whenever you want you get to watch it on the go Whether you're at home whether you're on the go it doesn't matter you're in a car You're on a bus, you know, you can always take this course and watch the material and I just think it's great and right now It's offered until September 27th. It's offered for 33% off All you have to do is just use the link in the show notes or in the description if you're watching this on YouTube Or if you're on an app, it's in the show notes. Just check it out Take a look at it read what it's all about and then use the link to sign up for the course I do get a little piece of the action, but also you get to help your career and Yeah, that's essentially essentially it so check that out link in the show notes And I will be able to you know Ask answer any questions that you might have on this anyway Let's get back to the show because this is something that's really important Oceana has put out a an article a press release really to talk about What's happening with tuna fishing and we talked about tuna fishing on Monday on the two episodes ago And we talked about sort of where things are at based on the annual report we never really talked about forced labor because forced labor is covered under the I guess the application status or the Reporting for the MSC, which is the Marine Stewardship Council, which is an eco label That basically certifies the tuna fishing label the vessel the distribution companies the processing companies and so forth the whole supply chain as eco-friendly and as following all of the demands that are required to qualify under the MSC and in the Marine Stewardship Council But there's a problem with forced labor and it was highlighted by Katrina Nakamura who put out this article That Oceana is publicizing because it's something that's that is concerning when we look at it And like I mentioned in the beginning in the intro, you know You're at a restaurant or you're buying seafood you look for the MSC label Just like I do and you're like oh, this is a label the ankle label that we could trust This is something that we can see that is you know They're using proper they're treating their employees properly the fishers properly the processors and everything like that throughout the supply chain properly That they're following human rights sessions as everybody should be they're making sure that the tuna sustainable and following the rules of each RMFO And all that kind of stuff But unfortunately for this situation It doesn't look like it's easy to track or it's being tracked properly when it comes to forced labor And that's really what it comes down to the problem. So the person who wrote it Katrina Nakamura who's a PhD said and I quote in a matter of minutes I was able to find multiple cases of forced labor on vessels that are part of the MSC the Marine Stewardship Council certified fisheries By comparing data from the vessel registries of all the tuna regional fisheries management organizations against highly publicized lists of Implicated vessels she goes on to say if it was this easy for me to find this information It's hard to believe that MSC could be unaware of this problem now There is an estimated 128,000 fishers that are trapped in forced labor aboard fishing vessels for by businesses recruiting fishers by For very low wages to work intensely in hazardous and remote conditions who then experience Untended injuries illness unpaid and withheld wages Psychological or physical abuse that camara analyze data from 3,313 tuna vessels listed on MSC's website and found that 74% of MSC certified sustainable tuna was Untraceable to the vessel owners fishing in or fishing employers So being able to have the fisher like the tuna that's come in through the process the supply chain So the processors the distributors and everything like that you couldn't match the vessels of where that's coming from and how much they're actually contributing to each one And so the MSC standards rely on self-reported information by trade associations Manufacturers and distributors rather than the vessel owners or employers and the MSC does not screen vessels or companies Against publicized lists of labor abuses, which is what Katrina did for this study so these standards leave room for vessels associated with crimes such as human trafficking and forced labor to benefit and Profit from the MSC eco label. So in other words, they fly under this eco label Everybody thinks it's fine They self-report or the vessels don't have to self-report because it's all the different like as trade associations Manufacturers and distributors that are something that are self-reporting But the vessels where the forced labor actually happens does not have to self-report So that's a question in itself like why do the vessels why are the vessels not held accountable? Their thing is to is like nobody looks at these vessels. Nobody goes aboard them. There's no fisheries observer There's no human rights observers that seem to be part of this eco label You know sort of requirements and so this is again is another problem where you're like well Hold on a second. How do you know that this is a problem? What you're relying on is the self-reported information from people who are not even on the vessel To say hey, you know what we haven't seen any indication or any evidence that there's been forced labor It seems like it's a loophole to say we don't care. We're not looking we don't have to check It's not saying that we have to check. There's no evidence that we have to provide There are no conditions that we have to look at on the vessels. There's no auditors for each vessel It seems like that is missing from the MSC label legal label requirements, right? That's what seems to be missing and so the MSC has recognized concerns about forced labor and human rights abuses occurring in tandem with illegal unreported and unregulated fishing in the tuna supply chain, but Tells consumers that the best way for tuna buyers to significantly reduce exposure to the above risk is to choose MSC Certified tuna that's a quote directly from the from MSC now That's a little bit of a problem because even though you expect the equal label to be able to be followed It's not being followed because it's not properly reported So Nakamura continues she says this is clearly bad advice considering MSC clients including a company associated with the U.S Tuna ban for forced labor whose self declaration states quote no evidence of forced labor and quote the image to quote this is Nakamura saying this the MSC should have far more effective barrier of Protecting vulnerable for protecting vulnerable Workers they evidently choose not to do so a more robust barrier would exclude all companies with any association to fisheries crimes and Include a firm rule that vessel owners to be identified and screened against highly publicized lists of implicated vessels such as the notice of sanctions against published Again, notice of sanction actions published on the federal register of the United States It seems straightforward It seems straightforward. So the question really comes down to and I and I want to be very clear here This episode is not to demonize the Marine Stewardship Council They are taking on an amazingly huge task of making sure that a supply chain Around the world for a number of different fisheries. I think it's like 400 and some odd fisheries are Sustainable and are following human rights are treating their employees properly treating their contractors and the fishers properly It is not easy. The MSC is not a huge organization However, it is taken on the task and the responsibility to ensure that the the consumers that are consuming the fishing the fishers the fisheries sorry not the fisheries the fisheries and that the fish Are understanding that everything is is good with the fisheries, right? With all things considered everything should be good. Like there shouldn't be any forced labor This there should be sustainable Treatment of the fish and the fisheries. We should know that they're following quotas and following the rules of the MFO RM RFMOs, you know, they're this is pretty pretty easy to do Well, it's pretty easy to think about but it's not easy to do like I I fully recognize this is not easy to do however It's very difficult when you know the MSC is certifying that there's no forced labor when it's self-reported by people that are not even on the boat That's really tough to swallow. It's a tough pill to swallow so according to Sort of the solutions here to help mitigate labor violations at sea Oceania is calling for on-world governments to apply for the global charter of fisheries transparency the charter pins point the charter pinpoints the most essential Policy priorities needed to combat fisheries management illegal fishing and human rights abuses at sea including collecting data on the conditions of Fishing vessels crew fishing vessel crews and publishing it while keeping it personally identifiable information private That's pretty easy. It looks like the system's already there So my question is how many countries are a part of this and why aren't countries signing up more and more so the United in the United States Oceania is campaigning for immediate action to address illegal fishing seafood fraud and human rights abuses in the US seafood supply chain This includes expanding the seafood import monitoring programs called simp to cover all seafood Only 45% of the imported seafood is currently covered and all production standards including forced labor That's the article. I've read a lot of it because I thought it was really important for you to know I'll link to it in the show notes and in the description on our YouTube video This is very concerning You know like I said before when as a consumer and as someone on the end user point When you're trying to use these eco labels, you know, they're never gonna be perfect but forced labor is a serious thing that's happening around the world and is disrupting and harming the lives of a lot of individuals and families of vulnerable people these are people who are trying to make money to Protect their kids to protect their families to ensure that their families can thrive and survive and They may never see their families again. They may never be able to send their money back home again because of you know fishing vessels that are up to no good a Lot of times, you know, we we talk about protecting the environment protecting fisheries protecting the ocean I mean, this is what this podcast is about But it has to be human-centric we have to protect the humans that are using the oceans that we have to protect the fishers As much as possible while protecting the ocean. That's is why Conservation is so complex is so difficult to be able to do you can't just snap your fingers and say hey This is easy. We're gonna be able to do this. Just stop eating seafood. That's not gonna happen around the world You know, I wish it was that easy. It's very complex 60% of the population of our 8 billion population on the planet lives along the coastline and And they need to be fed they need to eat and a lot of the times they look towards fishing and fish and seafood to be able to eat Now there are ways to make it more sustainable and there are many ways that we can reduce our impact on fisheries and on the oceans We just have to put them in place And when there are equal labels who are trying to do the best that they can to get these done like MSC like seafood watch We have to make sure that they are being held to the standard that they are they are Professing if they're not being able to do that we have to put them like what Katrina is doing is not just identifying the problem But demanding a solution Right, you can't claim that you are making sure that there's no forced labor in tuna fisheries When there's we know that there's forced labor in tuna fisheries proven that we've taken you know Katrina looked at those lists and Said hey, you know what we have one list of the fishing vessels But there are some fishing vessels that are on this list that have been accused of forced labor And they're under the MSC labels and they're saying hey, you know what we've self identified. We self proclaimed. There's no problem here Nothing to see here. Just just look away and nobody's looking nobody's looking to just expecting them to work on the honor system Well, people who do forced labor are not honorable and they do not work on the honor system And we need to make sure that the eco labels that say that they're gonna do something That they need to do something if not We need to hold it to better standards or they need to take away that they can say force that they can say that these Eco labels stop forced labor. I would love for them to stop forced labor. It's not easy. It's it's very difficult to do so There's a lot of crime involved crimes syndicates. It's very hard to track We've talked about before on this podcast, but it'd be great if they could you know Hold them to the fire and say let's do better Right these eco labels do a lot of great things But sometimes there's some shortcomings and now we've seen it and this is a very Serious matter when we're talking about forced labor. We're talking about fishery slaves We can't have it. It's just it's unacceptable. So they need to improve that process I did try to reach out to MSC. It's some of my context, but it seems like I couldn't get a hold of them And I would love to hear from them at some point and hopefully we'll hear a response from them But the fact is saying hey, you're better off buying you know tuna fish that are you know Under this label under the MSC label because we know we're doing our best to stop for slavery. It doesn't necessarily mean That they're stopping forced labor with that said does it mean that other? You know fish and seafood that's within the MSC is bad not necessarily Right and so you have to look at it from case by case basis what I would suggest Stop eating tuna altogether until we know more about this forced labor stuff But that's it again a difficult thing to do. I'm in the process. I'm in the position where I can do that I'm not sure if everybody's in that position Right, but if you don't need tuna in your diet or you don't have to in your diet makes it easy But if you need tuna it makes it harder Right, but we need to make sure that these these eco labels like MSC Are held to the standard that they're professing that they're keeping So I'd love to hear your you know, I'd love to hear what what you think about this You know, I did cover an episode just a couple days ago or a couple episodes ago where we talked about tuna fish And we talked about some of the problems that we have we talked about how you know Some RFMOs are not able to look at different FMMOs We don't know if they're double dipping in some of the vessels are double dipping and it sounds like there's not a lot of Quality control on the vessels themselves in terms of what they're doing on the vessels And so there's some problems. We've also we know that there's these problems now It's a matter of making sure that eco labels like MSC who say they're looking after that do better and looking after that So that's where we're gonna, you know, I'd love to hear your opinion on this. Have you heard anything different? Have you heard of any Response from MC I would love to hear from you because this is a community this is the beginning, you know I'd like to start off the conversation you guys continue it and I'd love to hear from you on YouTube You can drop a comment in in in the comments section, of course. Also, you can do that on on Spotify and of course you can always hit me up on Instagram at how to protect the ocean That's at how to protect the ocean. I want to thank you so much for joining me on today's episode of the how to protect the ocean podcast Have a great day. We'll talk to you. Oh, by the way, I'm your host Angelou and have a great day Talk to you later and happy conservation (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
