USA: Forced labour case filed against Bumble Bee Foods by Indonesian fishers alleging egregious abuse on board vessels in co. supply chain; incl. co comment
In December 2024, Greenpeace International released a report linking US canned food firm, Bumble Bee Foods, to forced labour and other human rights abuses of Indonesian fishers on Taiwanese-flagged vessels in its supply chain.
The report analyses complaints from ten Indonesian fishers linked to 12 vessels, four of which supplied to Bumble Bee Foods. Reported abuse were highly egregious, and fishers allege they were trapped in “a vicious cycle of debt and exploitation”.
As Bumble Bee neither publishes a vessel list nor any public information on their grievance policy, what our research uncovered is likely the tip of the iceberg. Therefore, Greenpeace will continue doing investigations to uncover the murky side of the seafood supply chain and advocate for a more fair, just, and sustainable global seafood industry for the sake of fishers, consumers, and our ocean’s future.Arifsyah Nasution, Global Lead for Beyond Seafood campaign and Senior Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia
One time, the rope holding the weighing gear broke and dropped a load of fish on me, cutting my leg open from thigh to shin. The captain ordered me to keep working. I thought there was water filling my boot, but I realized it was my own blood. I could see the bone in my leg.Akhmad, one of the Indonesian villagers bringing the lawsuit
Reporting says when Greenpeace USA emailed a link to one of its reports highlighting forced labour in Bumble Bee Food’s supply chain to the company’s CEO, he replied: “as for the report on Taiwan, I have printed it but have not yet taken the time to read it. It is not high on my priority list.”.
In March 2025, Indonesian fishermen filed a lawsuit in the USA against Bumble Bee Seafoods, alleging forced labour and human rights abuses. The plaintiffs claim they endured exploitative conditions, including long hours, withheld wages, and abusive treatment while working in the company’s supply chain. Bumble Bee denies wrongdoing.