SAN DIEGO — Attorneys representing a group of Indonesian fishermen initiated legal action on Wednesday against Bumble Bee Seafoods, alleging that the fishermen were subjected to violence and confinement aboard vessels in the supply chain that provides tuna to the company.
This lawsuit marks a significant development as it is reportedly the first case involving forced labor at sea brought against a U.S. seafood corporation, according to Agnieszka Fryszman, the lawyer representing the men. Fryszman emphasized the necessity of holding U.S. firms accountable when they gain profit from forced labor, thereby disadvantaging fair competing businesses. “What you see is undeniably distressing,” Fryszman remarked.
The legal case asserts that Bumble Bee, based in San Diego, breached the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. This statute enables international victims of human trafficking to pursue legal action against American enterprises that, knowingly or unknowingly, benefited from forced labor. In response, Bumble Bee Seafoods refrained from commenting on the litigation when reached via email.
The affected fishermen hail from Indonesian villages and were employed on longline vessels operated by Chinese entities, which supplied albacore tuna to Bumble Bee. The suit claims they frequently faced physical assaults from their captains. Akhmad, one of the fishermen who uses only one name, alleged he was struck with a metal hook and coerced into labor despite sustaining a severe leg injury from a load of fish. Another, Syafi’i, shared experiencing severe burns without receiving medical assistance and was compelled to work in order to afford food. The suit details attempts by the workers to go home and efforts to strike, hindered by ongoing vessel operations.
The fishermen’s predicament was exacerbated as supply ships sustained the ships with provisions while collecting their catch, leaving the men burdened with debts from food and other costs, and facing fines if they opted to leave, noted Fryszman.
Over the years, Bumble Bee had been made aware of the adverse conditions within its supply chain, according to Fryszman. In 2020, forced labor and inhumane working conditions led U.S. authorities to suspend imports from a Taiwan-linked fishing vessel, which was reportedly part of the network associated with the acquisition of Bumble Bee Seafoods. However, these Indonesian fishermen were not part of the crew on that specific vessel.
The lawsuit advocates for compensation to account for the fishermen’s lost wages and the abuse endured. Beyond financial recompense, it also calls for broader systemic reforms. The fishermen are urging firms like Bumble Bee to mandate that vessels, part of their supply networks, dock their catch rather than staying at sea indefinitely, and to ensure medical facilities and Wi-Fi access are available for workers to seek aid.
Labor abuses have been a persistent issue in the global fishing sector for years. A push by Congress in 2016 granted the U.S. government extended powers to combat forced labor following revelations by an Associated Press investigation that exposed the infiltration of slave-caught seafood from Southeast Asia into American markets.
Previously, in 2018, Fryszman represented two other Indonesian fishermen who claimed to have been enslaved on an American fishing vessel. Their case reached a settlement with the California-based owner of the vessel several years after their escape, and they received unique U.S. visas as victims of human trafficking.
