A new report released on UN Human Rights Day exposes a disturbing link between American seafood brand Bumble Bee and forced labor and illegal fishing practices. The report, “Seabound 3: Netting Profits, Risking Lives: The Unresolved Human and Environmental Exploitation at Sea,” was conducted by Greenpeace Southeast Asia in collaboration with SBMI (The Indonesian Migrant Workers Union, Serikat Buruh Migran Indonesia) and uncovers the involvement of four fishing vessels (Chaan Ying, Guan Wang, Shin Lian Fa No. 168, and Sheng Ching Fa No. 96) in supplying Bumble Bee tuna over multiple years, raising serious concerns about the tuna brand’s supply chain transparency and responsibility.

The investigation uncovered shocking allegations from fishermen on these vessels, including:

• Exhaustive working conditions involving up to 12 hours a day, despite only 3-4 hours of sleep, often in dangerous storms.
• Subsisting on a diet of expired food, rice, and bycatch, leading to malnutrition and illness.
• Lack of access to proper medical care, with the captain administering potentially harmful “green medicine” for all ailments.
• Restrictions on leaving the vessel and pressure to continue working despite illness.

One fisherman, Firman (not his real name), recounted experiences of fainting multiple times due to exhaustion and illness, only to be pressured to continue working by his recruitment agency.

Crucially, the investigation confirmed that tuna caught by Firman and others on the Chaan Ying was subsequently found in a Bumble Bee tuna can sold in a supermarket in Maine. This revelation highlights the alarming fact that consumers in the US are unknowingly participating in these abuses by purchasing Bumble Bee tuna.

Sari Heidenreich, Senior Human Rights Advisor at Greenpeace US, expressed the following concern: “As NOAA works on a new proposed rule for the Seafood Import Monitoring Program in 2025, we hope to see expanded coverage to all species, pre-entry screening, and the inclusion of forced labor indicators in the final rule.”

She continued, “The overlap between illegal labor practices and illegal fishing practices is significant. This is no surprise, as the push for overfishing, modern slavery at sea, and shark finning all stem from the same source: exploitation driven by profit. Businesses like Bumble Bee and other tuna brands need to take responsibility and engage actively with their upstream suppliers. This includes establishing robust grievance mechanisms and working towards installing wifi aboard vessels to facilitate communication and improve transparency.”

Arifsyah Nasution, Global Beyond Seafood Campaign Lead for Greenpeace International, emphasized the need for greater accountability from Bumble Bee and its parent company, Taiwan’s FCF: “As Bumble Bee neither publishes a vessel list nor information about its grievance policy, what our research uncovered likely represents only the tip of the iceberg. Greenpeace will continue to conduct these investigations to expose the hidden side of the seafood supply chain and advocate for a fair, just, and sustainable global seafood industry for the sake of fishers, consumers, and the future of our oceans.”

The report also sheds light on the illegal practice of shark finning. Three of the vessels investigated, the Guan Wang, Chaan Ying, and Sheng Ching Fa No. 96, reported using longline hooks that indiscriminately caught sharks. While some sharks were kept for the crew’s limited rations, many were finned before being thrown back into the ocean, a cruel and slow death. This practice is illegal in Taiwan, but inadequate enforcement allows it to continue.

Tommy Chung, ocean campaigner for Greenpeace East Asia Taipei office, stated: “The exploitation revealed in this report underscores systemic issues in Taiwan’s distant water fishing industry. Forced labor and illegal fishing practices harm workers and undermine efforts to uphold ethical and sustainable fishing practices. Bumble Bee’s parent company, Taiwan’s FCF, controls one of the largest tuna trading networks in the world. They hold significant influence over the supply chain and must take responsibility by addressing these abuses and conducting thorough due diligence to ensure its operations meet international labor and environmental standards.”

Contact: Tanya Brooks, Senior Communications Specialist at Greenpeace USA
(+1) 703-342-9226,