Our statement.

We have clear 🇪🇺common priorities with Environmental Justice Foundation. In today’s meeting, I found a precious ally for zero tolerance in effectively fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and safeguarding the health of our ocean.

This shocking footage shows dead marine life dumped on the seabed all in an effort to supply the market for scampi. Lack of monitoring means discarding like this can continue without any effective oversight. UK supermarkets are branding scampi as “responsibly sourced” but failing

@SREnvironment @ciel_tweets @FranceONUGeneve @UNHumanRights @Earthjustice @IucnOcean @ejfoundation @UNECE @IISD_news @IGFMining @IUCN Challenging the assumption that more critical materials are necessary for a green transition, Martin Webeler of Environmental Justice Foundation stresses it is possible to reduce the mineral demand by 58% if we implement #CircularEconomy measures.

As part of the #GENeva Dialogues on Mineral and Metal Resources, this #GRET2025 highlights threats of #DeepSeaMining, violations of fundamental rights it can imply and effective protection instruments addressing such threats. ▶️ https://t.co/XK92eE7MTD 📽️ https://t.co/3BPWa4JSim

Join the diverse and growing coalition of voices rising up in opposition. Urge your government to stand up and support a moratorium on deep-sea mining before it's too late: https://t.co/ftozRozLPz #StopTheMachines #DefendTheDeep

Deep-sea mining threatens marine life, the global climate cycle, food security, and underwater cultural heritage. Alongside scientists, Indigenous peoples, financial institutions, civil society, 32 countries, and many more organisations – we are saying no to #DeepSeaMining ⬇️

Our report also uncovered that fish tainted by this modern slavery may be reaching global markets. We cannot turn a blind eye to this suffering at sea when we may be finding the products of it on our plates. It’s time for strong transparency measures. https://t.co/R2E0CWMoMk

These efforts to hide the presence of North Koreans and keep them on board for long periods of time are evidence of a particularly severe case of forced labour. This takes place alongside illegal fishing, emphasising the wider trend of weak transparency in global fisheries.

Severe restrictions were placed upon their freedoms, including not being able to leave the vessels or to use a mobile phone. Captains even attempted to hide their presence on board, and transferred them to sister vessels while at sea – a method known as trans-shipment.

Testimonies from Indonesian and Filipino fishers and ex-fishers found that many of the North Koreans working on board the fleet had been at sea for years – some as long as a decade – without returning to North Korea or land. On board they faced violence & poor living conditions.

Our investigation into illegal fishing and human rights abuses on board China’s distant-water fleet in the Southwest Indian Ocean made an unprecedented discovery – evidence of North Korean labour at sea. This likely violates UN sanctions.

#Informe | Un informe de @ejfoundation expone abusos de la flota china a civiles norcoreanos que pudieron permanecer atrapados durante una década en el mar. 👉🏼La ONG urge medidas de transparencia a Estados y ORP para combatir el trabajo forzoso: https://t.co/DbzJWeZMxw

China's tuna vessels used North Korea crews in breach of UN bans, report says

Products of North Korean labour are making their way into global markets due to weak fisheries management and port controls. Human rights abuses and illegal fishing have no place in our world. We must shed light on them to prevent more suffering. https://t.co/9Ht99ZgXLi

Not only were the rights of the North Korean civilians restricted, the crew reportedly experienced physical abuse, verbal abuse and excessive overtime. We also found rampant illegal fishing on board these vessels, including shark finning and the capture of animals like dolphins.

“Six Koreans were not allowed to go home even after they completed their four year contract. They were just moved from one ship to another.” The North Korean crew were passed from vessel to vessel, a method called trans-shipment, to prevent them from returning to land.

Through interviews, we identified the presence of North Korean crew across 12 vessels from 2019-2024, likely in violation of UN sanctions and in spite of laws blocking products of North Korean labour.

Forced labour, physical abuse, and isolation for years at sea. Our new, unprecedented investigation has uncovered evidence of these abuses committed against North Korean crew on board China’s fleet in the Southwest Indian Ocean. Read “Trapped at Sea” ➡️

“Their families don’t have any idea whether they are still alive or not" @nytimes coverage of @ejfoundation's new report revealing that Chinese fishing vessels used North Korean labour in breach of UN sanctions. The NK crew spent up to a decade at sea https://t.co/PsFrVV1Oke