McBain joined the panel to discuss cleaning the supply chain of forced labour, and she presented the Fishers Fund as an action plan to the conference.

Thai Union yesterday also launched its new SeaChange website yesterday, focusing on the company’s sustainability strategy.

Fishers Fund

McBain presented a plan, along with Australian Ambassador for People Smuggling and Human Trafficking Issues Andrew Goledzinowski and media broadcaster Femi Oke, to establish a Fishers Fund that would put cash in the hands of workers rescued from slavery.

Working closely with local NGOs in Thailand such as the Issara Institute, Migrant Workers Rights Network, Stella Maris and LPN who are already involved in these programmes, will give survivors the funds to make their own choices to build a better future for themselves and their families. It is also aimed at helping restore their human rights and dignity by providing freedom of choice.

McBain asked the conference attendees to lend their skills, expertise and experience to establish the Fishers Fund.

Modern slavery is endemic across many industries and sectors, and it touches all consumers. While most of the global seafood industry applies and enforces decent working and living conditions for workers and fishermen, activities at sea are difficult to regulate as they are reclusive and hard to monitor.

Looking for employment, many migrant workers fall victim to unscrupulous recruitment brokers and find themselves in irrepayable debt, without documentation, working in unbearable conditions, and no access to the outside world. Even when rescued, victims of trafficking often find themselves broke, without contacts, employment and prospects in a foreign country.

“[The Fishers Fund is a] much-needed compensation or support fund to provide redress and contribute to rebuilding the lives of tens or hundreds of thousands of migrant and national workers associated with the Thai fishing industry, who for decades have faced, and indeed still do face, severe abuse too often in situations of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking,” said Andy Hall, international affairs adviser for the Migrant Worker Rights Network (MWRN).

“This is a bold and impressive move or step forward by Thai Union Group, and reflects what MWRN perceive to be a real commitment by the company, one of the largest seafood companies in the world, to ensure a better and more sustainable future for the Thai seafood industry and its crucially important workforce, often consisting of migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia who continue to face high risks of the most serious kinds of abuse,” Hall added.

Forced labour

During a panel discussion on forced labour in supply chains, McBain discussed the issue of slavery in the Thai seafood sector, and outlined Thai Union’s work to achieve safe and legal labour in the company’s own supply chain.

The panel also included Nick Grono, president and CEO of Freedom Fund; Kevin Hyland, the UK Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner; and speakers from Primark and Hilton.

“To genuinely eradicate slavery, the entire industry needs to work together on sustainable and evidence-based solutions. That means businesses, governments, civil societies and even consumers must actively participate,” said McBain.

Meanwhile, Thai Union Group was honoured yesterday for being named winner of the 2016 Gold Standard Awards for Corporate Citizenship in the Global-Asia Program from PublicAffairsAsia.

The Gold Standard Awards identify excellence in the development of a corporate social responsibility, sustainability or good governance project which enhances corporate reputation and demonstrates a commitment to sustainable business practices, governance values or corporate responsibility.

The Corporate Citizenship in the Global-Asia award is seen as a recognition of the importance of “SeaChange”, Thai Union’s sustainability strategy designed to address some of the most pressing needs in the global fishing industry.