North Koreans on Chinese fishing boats subjected to years of forced labor

In violation of UN bans a recent report found members of the crew on Chinese fishing vessels were North Koreans working under forced labor. ABC News described how, according to interviews in the report, North Koreans were subjected to abuse and were regularly moved from ship to ship to cover up the illegal scheme.

Trapped at sea 

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), a London-based group specializing in environmental and human rights issues, has issued a new report accusing China of using North Koreans on their tuna fishing boats. Farming out North Korean citizens to China by the authoritarian regime is well documented. Accordingly, North Koreans have been found working in factories, agriculture, and on the battlefield, to name a few. However, the EJF report reveals a new low.

EJF said in the report:

“The testimony received from Indonesian and Filipino crew members suggests that…North Koreans on board were forced to work for as many as 10 years at sea — in some instances without ever stepping foot on land,”

Significantly, the report draws on interviews with 19 Indonesians and Filipinos who worked alongside the North Koreans. Those interviewed said the North Koreans were passed from vessel to vessel to prevent them from returning to land. Sometimes for as many as 10 years. Further, their North Korean shipmates were not allowed to leave the vessel during any port visits or to use mobile phones.

Inhumane, even in an industry “replete with abuse” 

Using North Koreans for any type of work was banned by UN Security Council resolutions almost ten years ago. Specifically, the resolutions disallow member states, which include China, from issuing any type of work permit to North Koreans. Thus, the use of North Koreans on their fishing vessels puts China in breach of those resolutions. Undoubtedly, the policy of keeping crew members on those ships for multiple years is unprecedented. 

EJF stated

“(the reported abuse) …constitutes forced labor of a magnitude that surpasses much of that witnessed in a global fishing industry already replete with abuse,” 

Certainly, North Korea’s practice of exporting labor to generate revenue for the state is not new. Human Rights Watch accused the authoritarian regime of “routinely and systematically” forcing its citizens into uncompensated labor abroad to fuel its economy. And it is suspected that the money sent back is used in part to fund North Korea’s contentious nuclear programs. Additionally, using North Korean crew members bypasses the legal frameworks put in place in the US and EU. Laws put in place to stop goods produced by forced labor into their supply chains. Efforts to toughen UN sanctions on North Korea were vetoed by China.

Despite the UN ban, as evidenced by the report, experts believe large numbers of North Korean workers remain in forced labor around the world. Learn more about slavery at sea and how you can take action.