Social Cost

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which makes up 30% of fishing globally, leads to shocking human rights abuses. 

• Forced labor at sea and human rights abuses are too common in the fishing industry. A satellite and AI study reveal that up to 100,000 individuals may have been victims of forced labor between 2012 and 2018 alone (PNAS). This is fundamentally a human rights concern globally. Illicit activities at sea can more easily be concealed from the authorities, and there are many places where corruption is prevalent even in governance structures that are willing to turn a blind eye to the horrors taking place, as depicted in the documentary Ghost Fleet. 
• There are “observers” hired to patrol and verify that local regulations are followed; however, these are extremely dangerous positions, as detailed in the documentary Murder at Sea.