Whether we know it or not, our purchasing decisions can contribute to the exploitation of vulnerable people. Sometimes the products we buy in Australia may have been produced by workers who receive no pay or must work in dangerous conditions.
The fishing sector is just one of the many industries where labour exploitation is a growing concern. World Vision has received first-hand reports about boys and young men, especially from Cambodia Myanmar and Laos, who leave their villages looking for better work opportunities in Thailand but are instead tricked or coerced on to fishing boats. A desperate need for work, a lack of understanding of their rights and language barriers are some of the factors that contribute to their vulnerability.
Once onboard the offshore fishing boats, these boys and men are trapped and forced to work. Food may be withheld until their work has been completed or they are drugged to keep them awake to work longer shifts. Victims have reported that physical abuse and threats are common and workers who try to resist or who become sick are killed or thrown overboard to die.
Bounmy* from Laos is just one of the many victims who ended up in such exploitative conditions. He was tricked on to a fishing boat and was forced to work for nine years without pay.
“We worked 24-hour shifts and slept three to four hours per day. If we could not complete the work during work hours, the chief worker would beat us,” says Bounmy.
Bounmy often got sick because of the hard work and little sleep. “If we got sick, we would just recover by ourselves. If we were lucky then we [had] medicines,” Bounmy adds. Fish and cans of fish were the main food they ate on the boat.
“I used to ask for our salary and the chief worker told me the company would pay in full when we returned to [the] Thai coast,” Bounmy says. He worked for nine years on the boat and it never returned to a Thai coast. “If there was an emergency, they just called support from somewhere and docked the boat on [the] Malaysian coast.”
Nine years after Bounmy stepped foot on the fishing boat, its engine broke and the captain was forced to return to the Thai coast to get it repaired. When the boat arrived, Bounmy was taken in by authorities. The Laos Government, together with World Vision’s Human Anti-Trafficking Project (HTAP) then helped him return home safely.
Unfortunately, there are many more people like Bounmy who are currently exploited in the fishing industry. Australia is a large importer of seafood from Asia which means the seafood you purchase this Christmas may have been caught using exploited labour. The companies that brand and package the seafood sold in Australia will source their goods from numerous contractors and may not be fully aware of the conditions workers have to endure.
The good news is, you can make a difference. As a consumer, your voice and purchasing power can put a lot of pressure on companies to improve their business practices and clean up their supply chains.
This festive season consider
what’s in your stocking and take action to make sure your Christmas doesn’t have a negative impact on other people.
How to have a merry ethical Christmas
- In the true spirit of Christmas, serve your guests the finest ethical food and drink. The Ethical Consumer Guide can help you decide what to buy and where to buy it.
- Choose ethical gifts whenever possible for family and friends (see below for a list of ideas). Look for ethical certification labels like Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance or UTZ Certified or presents from charity gift shops.
- When you’re booking a venue for a festive lunch or dinner, choose a place that stocks ethical products. If your favourite place doesn’t stock ethical goods, give them a Don’t Trade Lives business card to encourage them to do more.
Ideas for ethical gifts
*Name has been changed