The world is full of injustice and problems. Relatively speaking, I'd consider being kidnapped and held on a boat miles from shore for months, subject to beatings and shackles, pretty high on the list. Yet until the New York Times expose this summer, slave labor on fishing boats fed your cat. (Your cat probably didn't have a problem with this, since cats consider all humans pretty much slaves. But hopefully you would.)
tolerate slave labor anywhere in their supply chains. These companies should not turn
a blind eye to known human rights abuses or shirk from investigating potential human
rights abuses by their suppliers". The cool thing is that anyone can do this and bring it to a court, holding corporations accountable for their behaviour.
Government officials are going to bat as well - Secretary Kerry spoke out in July, and just a few weeks ago Rep Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) wrote urging regulatory agencies to act to prevent human trafficking. Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Edward Markey (D-MA) pushed legislation increasing transparency in corporate supply chains that also is intended to combat use of child labor. The result remains to be seen, but at least some traffickers have been prosecuted and the companies say that they are putting tighter measures in place. Maintaining the pressure will be key to ensuring that conditions on boats actually change in the long term, but the signs are positive enough that Ian Urbina, who authored the expose in July, now writes that
Consumers and Lawmakers Take Steps to End Forced Labor in Fishing
The take home? The combination of investigative journalism, consumer activism and government action works. Its worth doing.