June 10, 2013

GAA responds to labour abuse accusations at Thai facility

The Global Aquaculture Alliance is determining a corrective course of action for accusations of labour abuse at Narong Seafood Co. Ltd. in Samutsakorn, and will ensure that the plant is adhering to Thai labour laws and the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standards.

The abuse accusation, titled The Walmart Effect: Child and Worker Rights Violations at Narong Seafood, was cited in a June 6 report by Warehouse Workers United and the International Labour Rights Forum.

The BAP management team is following up with Narong Seafood, a BAP certified shrimp processing plant, which will be required to respond to all accusations in the report.

"These are serious allegations that need to be investigated. Through its BAP programme, GAA takes its role in promoting fair labour conditions very seriously, so any report of abuse at a BAP-certified facility is a matter of great concern," said BAP Standards Coordinator Dan Lee.

Thai shrimp industry has already taken a hit by the shrimp disease - Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS). The shortage of shrimp supply has pushed up prices, and curtailed trading volume in Thailand. In May, Charoen Pokphand - Thailand-based global conglomerate with operations and investments in agribusiness, reported net profit for the first quarter of 2013 was THB1,026 million (US$34.35 million), a decrease of 70% on-year, mainly as a result of EMS.

The BAP programme is based on independent audits evaluating compliance with the BAP standards. Processing plants and farms certified by the BAP standards must ensure a safe, healthy working environment. The BAP standards also address wages and other terms of employment and the use of child and forced labour. In total, the BAP processing plant standards contain 36 clauses relating to worker safety and employee relations.

The Global Aquaculture Alliance is an international, non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture. Through the development of its Best Aquaculture Practices certification standards, GAA has become the leading standards-setting organization for aquaculture seafood.