Four Indonesian fishermen A groundbreaking lawsuit was filed The American tuna giant has accused Bumble Bee food of benefiting from forced labor and abuse in its supply chain.
The plaintiffs allege that they endured physical abuse, debt constraints, dangerous working conditions and refusal to care while working on a fishing boat that supplied tuna.
One plaintiff, Muhammad Sheefi; It is said to have been rejected Treatment after suffering severe burns and being forced to continue working during the injury, the lawsuit allegedly argued.
Syafi'i, who was hired as a chef on a deep-sea fishing boat in 2021, claimed that he was denied medical care after cooking oil splashed over his stomach and ran his legs, causing his skin to bulge almost instantly.
Syafi'i allegedly encountered brutal circumstances in the lawsuit, including physical abuse and forced labor in harsh and dangerous environments.
One of the co-plaintiffs, Muhammad Sahlfurdin, alleged that he was on his ship and exposed to a violent and abusive environment.
He claimed that the ship's captain had attacked regularly, attacking the whipping crew, and even jabed them with needles.
According to Sahrudin, Beatings was very frequent.
Another plaintiff, Akhmad, like many Indonesians, used a single name, saying that he was seriously injured when a large number of fish hit his legs, tore into his bones and soaked in blood.
Despite the severity of his injuries, he said he was forced to continue his job.
Also, the fourth man using one name, Angga, had no choice but to eat food to catch fish.
The lawsuit filed in San Diego on March 12 is the first known US case to target a seafood company over forced labor on fishing boats.
This post was sought for comment from Bumble Bee.
Plaintiffs were recruited by an institution withholding wages and trapped in the sea through transportation. This is a practice in which boats stay offshore for long periods of time and block access to seek help.
In 2020, Customs and Border Protection issued a “Withholding Order” (WRO) against Down, a distant water fishing vessel owned by Taiwan.
The measure effectively banned the import of seafood harvested by the down due to reliable evidence of forced labor practices, including physical violence, debt ties, wage withholding, abusive life and working conditions.
Da Wang had linked to Fong Chun Formosa Fishery Company (FCF), the parent company of Bumble Bee Foods.
In January 2020, FCF acquired Bumblebee Foods for $928 million. The acquisition raised concerns about the given Bumblebee supply chain FCF connections to vessels related to labor abuse.
April 2022, Greenpeace USA Reported to find bumblebee tuna It can be sourced from down purchased in Arlington, Virginia.
This finding suggests that despite WRO, products linked to Da Wang have entered the US market under the Bumblebee label.
The 2020 WRO specifically targeted Da Wang, but highlighted broader concerns about labor practices within the seafood supply chain of companies like Bumble Bee.
Bumble Bee holds the largest market share in the US for canned and poached tuna, offering products under brands such as Bumble Bee, Brunswick, Sweet Sue, Snow's, Wild Selections, Bumble Bee Superfresh and Clover Leaf.
company It employs approximately 1,300 people.
Annual revenue estimates vary, with figures ranging from $108.9 million to $750 million.
