Environmental Justice Foundation Reports Illegal Fishing, Labor Abuses in Global Squid Industry
A new probe found illegal fishing, forced labor, and environmental damage across squid operations in multiple ocean regions. The findings were released on World Oceans Day, June 8.
upi.comAn investigation has documented illegal fishing and forced labor across multiple squid fleets operating worldwide. The report details environmental damage including overfishing that threatens marine ecosystems and bycatch of protected species. Human rights violations cited include crew members working under debt bondage and without adequate food or medical care.
The probe examined operations spanning several ocean regions and multiple flag states. Vessels were found to turn off tracking systems to conceal locations while catching squid outside permitted zones. Crew interviews described contracts that trapped workers at sea for months without pay or the ability to leave.
The investigation links these practices directly to declining squid stocks and broader ecosystem disruption. Illegal fishing ranks among the documented threats to ocean health highlighted during World Oceans Day. June 8 marks World Oceans Day, an annual observance focused on human impacts on marine environments.
France 24 Environment Editor Valerie Dekimpe stated on June 8 that illegal fishing is one of the threats, threatening entire marine ecosystems.
