FORCED LABOR: US firms buying fish from Taiwanese suppliers could come under close scrutiny at US customs and the supply chain could be at risk of suspension

Taipei Times
Date:  Oct 03, 2020
By: Yang Yuan-ting and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

Fish caught by vessels bearing Taiwan’s national flag have been classified as products of forced labor, based on the conditions under which the crews work, an annual report by the US Department of Labor said on Wednesday.

The Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor report said that Taiwan’s longline fishing fleet of 1,100 vessels, the world’s second-largest after China’s, employs about 35,000 migrant workers, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines.

“Similar to crews on Chinese-flagged vessels, crews on Taiwan-flagged vessels face confiscation of documents, long days with little rest, physical and verbal abuse, and lack of payment,” the report said.

Taiwan’s inclusion in the report means that US companies buying fish from Taiwanese suppliers could come under close scrutiny at US customs and the supply chain could be at risk of suspension.    [FULL  STORY]