How satellite data is being used to root out forced labour on fishing vessels around the world
Global Fishing Watch uses satellite data to find modern slavery at sea, the U.S. bans the import of further merchandise produced with forced labour, and an investigation into practices at Carlsberg India finds evidence of child labour in its warehouses.
Fishing vessels with crews of forced labourers behave in systematically different ways to the rest of the global fleet, according to new research that used satellite data, machine learning and the on-the-ground expertise of human rights practitioners to identify such ships.
The study, by Global Fishing Watch, emLab at UC Santa Barbara, and Liberty Shared, found that up to 26 per cent of the approximately 16,000 industrial fishing vessels analyzed showed risk indicators for forced labour, a type of modern slavery. As many as 100,000 individuals are estimated to work on these high-risk boats, many of whom are potential victims of forced labour.
The study also shows where these high-risk vessels fish and the ports they visit.
The research team compiled 27 different vessel behaviors and characteristics that might indicate the use of forced labour on board and which can be observed using Global Fishing Watch’s satellite vessel monitoring data. Looking at annual behavior across the 16,000 vessels, from 2012-2018, the model correctly predicted forced labour in more than 90 per cent of reported cases of high-risk activity, and discovered as many as 4,200 new high-risk vessels. The study found the most important indicators for identifying high-risk vessels included a greater distance travelled from ports, higher engine power, more fishing hours per day, more time spent fishing on the high seas, and fewer fishing voyages in a given year than other boats.
High-risk vessels visited ports predominantly in Africa, Asia and South America, although exceptions included Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and several European countries. In total they visited ports in 79 countries in 2018, including 39 countries that are signatories to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures, a treaty aimed at tackling illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing through the enhancement of state control over ports.
The ports themselves are both potential sources of forced labour as well as transfer points for seafood caught using forced labour. Squid jiggers and longliners flagged to China, and longliners flagged to the Republic of Korea, Japan and the fishing entity of Taiwan, were most frequently found to be high risk.
The researchers aim to further develop this model to provide governments, enforcement bodies and international agencies with a robust tool that can be used to assess the risk of forced labour on vessels and support targeted inspections. According to Valerie Farabee, Director of Research and Analysis at Liberty Shared, ‘This ability to zero in on bad actors is a potential game-changer for human rights organizations and enforcement agencies worldwide.’
We are pleased to host the authors of the study in our next webinar on 27 January to discuss the model and its applications in more detail. Please look out for the invitation to register in the coming weeks and we look forward to your participation.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
In the past weeks, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued withhold release orders on palm oil produced by Malaysia’s Sime Darby Plantation Berhad, following a petition by Liberty Shared, and on seafood harvested with forced labour by Lien Yi Hsing No. 12, a Taiwanese flagged and owned fishing vessel.
Thailand's prime minister has ordered police to set up a special committee to identify and investigate government officials who have been abetting the country’s human trafficking rings, following a COVID-19 outbreak he has blamed on illegal migrants.
A UK Home Office minister has rejected proposals in a parliamentary bill for new support for victims of trafficking. The modern slavery (victim support) bill calls for trafficking victims of all nationalities to receive a minimum of 12 months’ access to safe housing, support, and protection from immigration detention.
According to EU diplomats, Bangladesh will have to meet the European Union’s new criteria on human rights to retain its duty-free market access to the bloc, as the EU looks to increase accountability and fight impunity.
An investigation at Carlsberg India has found ‘potential improper payments’ to government officials, and child labour. The findings cast a fresh shadow on operations and compliance practices at the Indian joint venture of Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S which, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, has a 17 per cent share of India’s $7 billion beer market.
Tomorrow, 13 January, at 11am EST, the U.S. Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons is hosting a live streamed panel discussion on the future of the anti-trafficking movement. Current and former TIP office ambassadors will share their thoughts on strategies to end human trafficking and sustain hope for the anti-trafficking movement in the new year and beyond.
Also tomorrow, The Centre for Child Rights and Business is hosting the second virtual launch of its new study, Getting Through a Pandemic – Migrant Parents and COVID-19 in China’s Export Manufacturing Industry. The event aims to give participants based in Europe, UK and U.S. time zones an opportunity to learn about the study findings, as well as the discussions around COVID-19 responses in China’s manufacturing industry.
USAID Asia and Thailand CTIP projects are hosting a panel on A New Decade: Partnering for Action to Counter Trafficking on Friday 22 January, from 19:00 to 21:30 ICT. Participants will hear from senior private sector professionals from companies including Mars Petcare and Fairagora, and from the USAID CTIP projects on recent trends in all aspects of the partnership life cycle.
The FAST Initiative, based at the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, is looking for a visionary and dynamic project director to oversee its next phase of growth. The position is New York-based, with the possibility of starting remotely, and applications are due by the end of January.
The USAID Asia CTIP project is seeking a consultant to conduct research on the factors that influence vulnerability to being trafficked and concrete recommendations for trafficking prevention in countries in the region.
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