Illegal Thai fishing hauls a possible threat to Woolworths sushi partner’s supply
Thailand’s ‘ghost’ fishing fleet may have supplied contaminated seafood to Sushi Izu. Seafood caught by Thailand’s notorious ghost fishing fleet may have contaminated the supply chains of a sushi company operating in more than 165 Woolworths supermarkets. Guardian Australia can reveal that Woolworths and its fresh sushi partner, Sushi Izu, are scrambling to investigate the allegations, which could contravene the “ethical sourcing” requirements the supermarket giant imposes on suppliers. Repeated investigations, including by the Guardian, have revealed that Thailand’s distant water fishing fleet subjects its crews to human rights abuses. Fishermen are often victims of human trafficking, trapped using debt bondage, regularly beaten, and allowed to die from easily treatable diseases. Their treatment has been described as modern-day slavery. The vessels illegally fish in unregulated and unwatched waters throughout Asia and the Pacific, and have caused significant damage to fragile marine ecosystems. This week, after a 12-month investigation, Greenpeace showed how the fleet continued to operate in 2015, even after media pressure prompted crackdowns in Indonesia, Thailand and, later, Papua New Guinea.
