Þrælaskip veiða í soðið fyrir Evrópubúa

Bresku umhverfisverndar- og mannrétindasamtökin Environmental Justice Foundation segjast hafa flett ofan af því sem þau kalla þrælahald á fiskiskipum við strönd Vestur-Afríku sem vottuð eru af Evrópusambandinu og veiða í soðið fyrir Evrópubúa. Meðal þess sem þar er sagt viðgangast eru frelsisviptingar, ofbeldi og vinnuþrælkun skortur á hreinu vatni, og haldlagning launa, skilríkja og annara persónulegra gagna sjómanna. Auk þess voru mörg skipanna staðin að veiðum á skilgreindum verndarsvæðum þar sem veiðar eru bannaðar.

Guardian: 'Slavery' uncovered on trawlers fishing for Europe

Exclusive: Violence and incarceration for months or even years found on ships off coast of west Africa

Shocking evidence of conditions akin to slavery on trawlers that provide fish for European dinner tables has been found in an investigation off the coast of west Africa.

Forced labour and human rights abuses involving African crews have been uncovered on trawlers fishing illegally for the European market by investigators for an environmental campaign group.

The Environmental Justice Foundation found conditions on board including incarceration, violence, withholding of pay, confiscation of documents, confinement on board for months or even years, and lack of clean water.

The EJF found hi-tech vessels operating without appropriate licences in fishing exclusion zones off the coast of Sierra Leone and Guinea over the last four years. The ships involved all carried EU numbers, indicating that they were licensed to import to Europe having theoretically passed strict hygiene standards.