“MSC Puts A Seal of Approval on Forced Labor”
Global Labor Justice Responds to Report That Exposes Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Lack of Standards to Identify and Address Forced Labor
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)’s Fisheries Standard, a seafood sustainability standard, only requires companies to submit self-declarations that fishers are not at risk of debt bondage or forced labor, without conducting further investigations or verifying the information. This allows companies to avoid scrutiny and fails to address forced labor and other forms of labor abuse. More robust measures, such as enforceable brand agreements (EBAs) and collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), with independent and democratic unions representing fishers, offer better solutions for tackling these issues.
Global Labor Justice today responded to the new report published in Nature, "Is Tuna Ecolabeling Causing Fishers More Harm Than Good?" by Katrina Nakamura of Sustainability Incubator, which exposes flaws in MSC's self-reporting procedures for labor issues and reveals that there are currently vessels in MSC-certified fisheries where incidents of forced labor have been reported by fishers. While these vessels remain in the program, there are MSC tuna products currently on shelves in supermarkets that have likely been produced under forced labor conditions.
“The MSC’s blue label appears on seafood products in supermarkets worldwide, creating the false impression that it is a seal of approval for the labor practices used to catch or harvest the seafood. When consumers purchase MSC-labeled tuna, they reasonably expect that the product is free from human and labor rights abuses, but in fact, there are MSC-certified fisheries where the fishers are subjected to forced labor and unacceptable working conditions. The MSC only requires companies to submit self-declarations, allowing some of the largest seafood brands to ignore forced labor in their supply chains and avoid being accountable to fishers and their unions,” said Valery Alzaga Deputy Director of Global Labor Justice.
“Clearly, seafood brands cannot rely on MSC certification as a way of claiming their seafood is responsibly sourced. The best way to stop forced labor is not through certification schemes but by empowering fishers to improve their jobs and hold their employers accountable through Collective Bargaining Agreements and Enforceable Brand Agreements, as we have seen used effectively in other sectors,” continued Alzaga.
FOR CONTEXT
The MSC’s business model relies on the fishing industry. With 88.7% of its revenue coming from royalties on products that carry its logo, it has an embedded financial interest in keeping major fisheries in its program, even where there is evidence of forced labor without meaningful or credible efforts to prevent and remedy it. Rather than guaranteeing high labor standards, the MSC logo provides false cover– since companies know they can get the MSC’s logo on their products without addressing labor violations, they have less incentive to do so.
Wi-FI NOW for Fisher’s Rights Campaign:
Migrant fishers, as part of the Wi-Fi NOW for Fisher’s Rights Campaign, are speaking out against the conditions they face, including forced labor, physical abuse, death and disappearances at sea, and a total lack of communication with their families and the outside world while at sea. They are calling on some of the world’s biggest seafood brands, which source from a supply chain rife with abuse and forced labor, to support their fight for fundamental labor rights, including Wi-Fi on every vessel.
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