Let’s Talk Unethically Sourced Shrimp
The lovely effects of summer are in full swing here in New York, and while the unmistakable marks of climate change have ushered in a much hotter summer season much earlier than in past years, everyone on the streets can be seen enjoying Aperol Spritzes and light seafood pastas and shrimp tacos across the city.
Now many are familiar with phrases like “fair trade” and “ethically sourced” when it comes to our chocolate, meat, or coconut water, but few are as familiar with the notion of ethically sourced — or let’s put it plainly — slavery-free shrimp. Shrimp consumption in the US is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing, with a 25% increase in US consumption in the last 5 years, and it makes more sense now than ever to be discerning about where that shrimp is coming from and if each delicious bite is contributing to hardships for others.
In 2015 a six-month investigation resulted in a damning expose on the shrimp industries in Asia, particularly that of Thailand, where horrific conditions of forced labor were witnessed and recorded. Thousands of Thai ships predominantly fishing the waters surrounding Indonesia carried people bought and sold in a slave market and forced into 16–20 hour workdays as part of shrimp or prawn production to meet exploding demand and as a means to keep shrimp prices low and enticing for buyers. These “workers” include women and children, many of whom bear scars on their arms from the difficult process of cleaning, beheading, gutting, and shelling, telling investigators that their work was non-stop, ending at 7am.
There are other stories of migrants being captured and brought directly into “shrimp sheds,” where they are locked inside and watched continuously, while those trapped on ships, chained and starved, make voyages increasingly further away to obtain the desired amount of prawns. Some escapees have told of their experiences being regularly beaten and fed methamphetamines to keep their endurance up, while witnessing fellow captives get tortured and executed.
Thailand has emerged as a top human trafficking center to fuel the global shrimp frenzy, where most promises to address and protect workers in the future have been neglected by widespread corruption and complicity by those in positions to act. As of 2016, Thailand’s shrimp industry alone was worth $7bn, and much of this shrimp ends up in mega-chains like Walmart, Carrefour, Whole Foods, Tesco, Red Lobster, Costco or other U.S. supermarkets, where bargain prices drive up consumption and fuel these slavery systems. Thailand’s Charoen Pokphand (CP) Foods, the largest shrimp farmer in the world, buys fishmeal that is used to feed their farmed prawn from these slave-operated ships. Additionally, it’s crucial to bear in mind that the US is one of the world’s largest importers of shrimp, the majority of which comes from Asia.
Even for those who want to ensure they are enjoying prawns without inadvertently funding these horrors are left with little information to use their purchasing power for good. Very few companies disclose supply chain information and regulations are lacking to force them to do so. While some large companies, such as Nestlé, which has admitted to having a supply chain containing imports from these factories, the combination of the lack of regulations on supply chain disclosures, high-level governmental corruption in areas of supply origin, and a market constantly pressing for more for the cost of less creates a perfect environment for continued abuse and human trafficking associated with the shrimp market.
So, what can be done then? You can start by asking restaurants or your supermarkets where they import their shrimp from, and if it’s not Gulf shrimp, it’s likely played some part in the nightmarish slavery in the shrimp industry. Your choices do have power, and the more people choosing ethically sourced shrimp means the greater likelihood restaurants and grocery stores will shift their import sources to match their customers’ desires.
In general, for those looking to source ethically and for those sustainably-minded, a good rule of thumb is that local northwest shrimp are typically the best options and, as US and European fishermen tend to utilize more bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) that decrease other marine life being caught in pursuit of shrimp, Gulf of Mexico shrimp are a good alternative also. Bottom line, it’s best to avoid imported shrimp, wild or farmed, if possible.
Lillian MacCartney, Vice President
Ethically sourcing our foods is nothing new and can easily be expanded to how seafood is sourced. The Guardian and The Associated Press are two key scrutinizers of the shrimp slavery predicament and have been covering the situations for nearly a decade, with interviews from survivors and deep dives into the conditions, while the Environmental Defense Fund has catalogued options for sustainable seafood options.
Walk Free’s Global Slavery Index provides a breakdown of five types of state jurisdiction under global maritime law and recommendations for governmental bodies to help minimize and discourage these slavery systems, which range from understanding the factors that contribute to vulnerability for modern slavery, to training and measures that can be taken at the port authority level all the way up to wide sweeping legislation.
Seafood Watch is also a preeminent source for helping you make better more sustainable choices when it comes to the oceans.
A survivor of the shrimp slavery ships, Vannak Anan Prum, who hails from Cambodia, this year released his detailed memoir following his abhorrent experience as a modern slave. Additionally, Australian filmmaker, Rodd Rathjen, has released his debut film “Buoyancy,” which seeks to tackle Thai seafood industry slavery.
This newsletter is intended solely for informational purposes, and should not be construed as investment/trading advice and are not meant to be a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any securities mentioned. Any reproduction or distribution of this document, in whole or in part, or the disclosure of its contents, without the prior written consent of Flat World Partners is prohibited
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