Unacceptable working conditions are pervasive in global fishing. These include extreme physical demands for long hours without adequate food and water, coercion through deceptive or deceptive work agreements, low (or non-existent) pay, and even physical, psychological and sexual.
In some cases, it is outright forced labour.
In the absence of effective regulations, it is inevitable that seafood produced under these conditions will find its way onto the plates of Canadians. Yet Canada does little to ensure that the seafood we import is produced without human rights violations.
In 2022, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans produced a report recommending that the federal government implement a “ship-to-fork” traceability program, arguing that this would help identify problems along the supply chain. However, no bill has been introduced in Parliament to this effect, and consumers are left in the dark.
Unlike Canada, some countries are taking action to address human rights abuses in seafood supply chains.
Measurements to learn from
In July 2022, the United States took action to block imports of seafood from abusive labor. If importers wish to continue supplying US markets, they will need to stop sourcing seafood from illegal and harmful activities, including forced labor and other unacceptable practices. It is one of the few efforts to block imports of illegal, unreported and unregulated fish products that pays explicit attention to labor abuses.
The Canadian government has taken no similar action. Instead, Canada contributes to these abuses by ignoring what happens before seafood arrives in Canadian markets.
Many Canadians may be surprised to learn that under the new free trade agreement with Mexico and the United States, it is already illegal to import goods produced by forced labor into Canada. However, “the ban on the importation of products resulting from forced labour” is not sufficiently implemented. Since it came into force in 2020, only one shipment of goods has been seized under this ban. She was later released after the company challenged the decision.
Effective enforcement of the ban would be a critical step in addressing human rights abuses in Canada’s seafood supply chains.
Canada must also take additional steps to combat forced labor and other fisheries abuses by imposing human rights and environmental due diligence obligations on companies, as would Bill C-262. Under this law, companies would be required to prevent and address adverse human rights and environmental impacts in their supply chains, and would be required to remedy them.
This would force Canadian importers — including seafood importers — to take stringent action to rid their supply chains of abuses like forced labor or face liability in Canadian courts.
In contrast, Bill S-211 simply requires companies to report on forced labor and child labor risks, without requiring changes to a company’s operations. Parliament will likely pass the law in early 2023.
A proactive approach
An effective law of mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence would instead recognize the wide range of labor rights that fishers can expect, and not just address extreme abuses.
A proactive approach to ensuring ethical supply chains would mean decent work for fishworkers rather than a mere absence of the worst abuses. In addition, it would give a voice to the workers concerned, by facilitating their access to Canadian courts to defend their rights.
Canada must respond to the demands of fishworkers around the world and stop being complicit in harmful labor practices and other abuses in the industry. To demonstrate a serious commitment to this goal, it is not enough to make virtuous declarations, pass ineffective laws and sign non-binding international agreements.
It is time to implement the ban on imports of forced labor products and implement mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation. These measures would support fishworkers — and all workers — involved in Canadian supply chains.