Bumble Bee ‘benefitted’ from forced labor, lawsuit alleges

Bumble Bee Foods is facing allegations that it “knowingly benefitted” from forced labor and other abuses in its supply chain, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in California.

Four Indonesian fishers allege that they faced similar patterns of abuse on three different boats that supplied Bumble Bee, including physical abuse, long stretches of work without rest days and denial of medical care.

“These men were looking for good jobs so they could provide for their families and build a future,” Agnieszka Fryszman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs said in a press release accompanying the March 12 filing. “Instead, they allege, they were trapped – isolated at sea, beaten with metal hooks, not getting enough food, working around the clock – and facing financial penalties if they tried to leave.”

Lawyers for the plaintiffs said that they believe the suit is the first forced labor at sea case against an American company under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.

Bumble Bee holds the largest market share of canned and pouched tuna, according to the Seafood Stewardship Index and was purchased by Taiwanese fish conglomerate FCF Co. Ltd. for $925 million following a bankruptcy in 2019. The company declined comment on the litigation Monday.

What does the lawsuit allege?

Muhammad Sahrudin, one of the plaintiffs, said that conditions on the boat he worked on were “harsh.”

“The captain would slap the crewmen with his hand, hit them about the head, and, worse, stab themwith a needle,” the filing states. “One time, the captain chased him with the needle, while Sahrudin begged to be spared.”

Muhammad Syafi’i, a separate plaintiff, alleged among other abuses that he was severely burned by hot cooking oil while onboard a fishing vessel.

“He screamed in pain, but when the crew rushed to see what had happened, the captain told them to leave him be and to get back to work. Syafi’i was left lying on the kitchen bench, alone,” the complaint states.

The plaintiffs allege that they were unable to leave the ships they were working on and routinely denied medical treatment. The men allege that once at sea, the ships would not sail back to port, transferring catches to cargo ships.

The complaint states that the ships the four plaintiffs worked on were a part of the “trusted network of boat owners” that supplied Bumble Bee.

“Bumble Bee knowingly received or attempted to receive financial and other benefit from the sale of tuna harvested with forced labor, including profits from those sales and access to a steady supply of tuna from its trusted fleet,” the complaint alleges.

Fryzman said in the press release that her clients are seeking a result that would prevent further abuse.

“Our clients are seeking justice not only for themselves but to implement changes that will protect other fishers, including men at sea right now on the same boats,” Fryman said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Indonesian fishermen sue Bumble Bee, allege ‘forced labor’ on ships