Viet Nam | Human Rights Abuses and Risks

Last Updated: Aug 2024

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
Evidence of child labor in fish goods.
U.S. Department of Labor
2023 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
Not profiled in report
U.S. Department of State
2024 Trafficking in Persons Report
There are increasing reports of Vietnamese labor trafficking victims in Taiwan, continental Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and in Pacific maritime industries, including on Indonesian and Taiwanese fishing vessels operating under complex ownership and registration arrangements that enable traffickers to evade detection and intervention by law enforcement. The lack of a requirement for labor contracts and use of oral agreements in the fishing industry increases fishermen’s vulnerability to trafficking. Labor brokers exploit fishermen in labor trafficking by forcing them to involuntarily work on fishing vessels
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
Seafood Social Risk Tool Profile
Evidence identified at the seafood-industry level in the Vietnam country risk profile.
Additional civil society organization reports documenting human rights abuses:
2019, Environmental Justice Foundation, Blood and Water
2019, Environmental Justice Foundation, Caught in the Net: Illegal fishing and child labour in Vietnam’s fishing fleet

RISK FACTORS

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.

  • Port State Measures Agreement: Ratified
  • ILO C188 Work in Fishing Convention: Not ratified
  • ILO Core Labor Conventions: Not ratified 1 of 10
    • C087 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention