EVIDENCE | Forced labor, child labor, and/or human trafficking in seafood
| Source | Details |
|---|---|
|
U.S. Department of Labor 2024 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor |
No evidence reported in the seafood sector |
|
U.S. Department of Labor 2024 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
Evidence of child labor found in the fishing sector. |
|
U.S. Department of State 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report |
Evidence of trafficking in the fishing and shrimp farming sectors, including child labor. Workers on vessels engaged with IUU fishing just outside Ecuador's EEZ deploy small vessels into Ecuador's waters, crewed by workers subjected to forced labor. Evidence of organized criminal groups recruiting artisanal fishermen into criminality using extortion, threats and fear. |
|
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Seafood Social Risk Tool Profile |
Evidence identified at the seafood-industry level in the Ecuador country risk profile. There are risk profiles for tuna fisheries in Ecuador and warmwater shrimp farming. |
| Additional civil society organization reports documenting human rights abuses: |
|---|
| Risk Factor | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Flag of Convenience (International Transport Workers Federation) | No | Flags of Convenience are connected to the occurrence of human trafficking and forced labor in fishing. Vessels registered to Flag of Convenience states may lack a legitimate connection to the flag state and may be subject to less rigorous management and oversight by the flag state. |
| Active yellow or red card for failing to tackle illegal fishing (European Union) | Yes (yellow) | The European Union gives countries yellow and red cards for failing in their requirements under international law to take action against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. There is evidence linking IUU fishing to an increased risk of human trafficking and forced labor on board fishing vessels. |
| Failure to ratify key treaties and international labor conventions |
Ratifying key treaties and international labor conventions indicates a country’s commitment to uphold international standards.
|