Julie Watson
SAN DIEGO (AP) – The lawyer representing four Indonesian fishermen says they were beaten and trapped on a ship, part of the global supply chain that has provided tuna to Mana’s bee seafood.
It is believed to be the first case of forced labor at sea that has been brought about against a US seafood company, said the male lawyer Agnieska Frisman.
US companies that benefit from forced labor and mask other companies must be accountable, Frisman said.
“What you see is really devastating,” she said.
The lawsuit, headquartered in San Diego, accusing people of violating the Human Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The law allows foreigners who were struggling with human trafficking to sue US businesses that they knew or should have known they were profiting from forced labor.
Bumble Bee said in an email to the Associated Press that it had not commented on the pending lawsuit.
All the fishermen were from Indonesian villages and worked on longline ships owned by Chinese companies. Bumblebee has procured Albacoa tuna, according to the lawsuit. They say they were beaten regularly by the captain.
One of the fishermen named Akhmad, who many Indonesians use only one name, said he hit a metal hook and was forced to work after being injured at work due to a load of fish with legs open to the bone. Another fisherman, Syafi’i, said he had not received medical care for severe burns and was ordered to return to work for food. According to the lawsuit, all the men asked to go home and even tried to strike on board the ship.
The boats remained in the sea, while the supply vessels provided clauses and collected catches. Frisman said the man was tied up by the threat of food and other fees and fines.
Bumblebee has been warned of the inhumane state of the supply chain for years, Frisman said. In 2020, an explanation of abusive conditions and forced labor prompted the United States to halt imports from Taiwan-based fishing vessels that reportedly supplied the same year to a global tuna trading company that acquired Bumblebee Seafood that year. None of these fishermen were working on the boat.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for unpaid wages and abuse, Frisman said. Men are also looking for systemic change, she said. For example, companies like Bumblebee would like to require that supply chain vessels be brought in their catch rather than staying at sea, and require workers to provide onboard and Wi-Fi services to get help.
Fisheries around the world have been plagued by labor abuse for years. Congress approved a law in 2016 that provided the US government with additional powers to crack down on forced labor after an Associated Press investigation revealed that seafood caught in Southeast Asian slaves had appeared in restaurants and markets around the US.
In 2018, Frisman represented two Indonesian fishermen and said he was enslaved by an American fishing boat. Seven years after receiving a special US visa as a victim of human trafficking, they settled the lawsuit for undisclosed amounts against the California-based owner of the vessel.
Original issue: March 12, 2025, 4:11pm EDT
