Sunday, March 16, 2025
Panel: Demystifying Human Rights Due Diligence in Seafood Supply Chains
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Room #156A, Seafood Expo North America
This panel will explore practical solutions for addressing human rights due diligence (HRDD) in seafood supply chains. Panelists will share actionable insights on implementing effective HRDD practices, overcoming challenges, and fostering collaboration to tackle issues such as forced labor and poor working conditions. Many U.S. companies source from distant-water vessels where fishers lack access to Wi-Fi, preventing them from exercising Freedom of Association (FOA) or reporting abuse while at sea for the entire duration of fishing trips. GLJ will participate in this panel, highlighting FOA as a key component of HRDD and emphasizing that effective HRDD for distant-water fisheries must ensure Wi-Fi access onboard for workers. Please note that an Expo pass will be required to attend this panel.
Wi-Fi Campaign Roundtable: Practical Solutions for Companies to Protect Fishers' Labor Rights in Distant Water Fisheries
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Aloft Hotel Boston Seaport, 401-403 D St, Boston, MA 02210
Room: Smoot (2nd Floor)
FREE (conference pass not required)
Global Labor Justice (GLJ) invites you to a roundtable discussion on the Wi-Fi NOW for Fishers’ Rights at Sea campaign. Taiwan's distant-water fleet is a critical example, where fishers face severe health and safety risks but remain isolated for months without reliable communication. This session will introduce a new set of guidelines that companies can use to ensure Wi-Fi access onboard vessels, enabling Freedom of Association and protecting labor rights in distant water fisheries. These guidelines will provide companies with essential guidance to ensure Wi-Fi access is robust, reliable, and enables labor rights protections.
The session will cover:
- The scale of risk for workers in Taiwan’s distant-water fleet and its health and safety implications.
- The risks companies face if current approaches remain unchanged, including legal, reputational, and financial vulnerabilities.
- An overview of the Model Operational Guidelines for Wi-Fi Access and Fishers' Rights, which provide companies with an actionable framework to ensure Wi-Fi access onboard vessels and guarantee labor rights protections.
Sign up here to join our roundtable discussion.
Monday, March 17, 2025
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Navigating Supplier Relationships in the Seafood Sector in Response to Labor Abuses
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center- Room #152, Seafood Expo North America
This panel, part of the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) conference, will explore how companies in the seafood sector can navigate supplier relationships in response to labor abuses. Panelists will include experts from institutions such as the U.S. Department of Labor, International Transport Workers' Federation, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Global Labor Justice (GLJ), and regional fisher organizations in Indonesia. Using case studies from Taiwan’s distant-water fisheries and domestic fisheries in the United States and the United Kingdom, the panel will discuss strategies for engaging with business partners to address and mitigate labor abuses, ensuring ethical sourcing and protecting workers' labor rights. Please note that a Conference session pass will be required to attend this panel.
Rally & Vigil for Fishers: Stand Up for Migrant Fishing Workers' Rights
4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Outside Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston, MA 02210
Migrant fishers in Taiwan’s distant-water fishing fleet, many from Indonesia, face routine deaths, injuries, and disappearances due to unsafe working conditions and a lack of communication access. These workers spend up to ten months or more on vessels without the ability to contact their families or report abuse. This lack of communication, primarily due to limited or no Wi-Fi, prevents fishers from exercising their labor rights and puts them in constant danger. It's time for the industry to prioritize the health and safety of fishers and uphold their labor rights. Enough is enough! On March 17, join us outside the Boston Seafood Expo to stand in solidarity with migrant fishers. We demand that the seafood industry take immediate action to address these abuses and prioritize the health and safety of fishers. Together, we can support these workers and help protect their rights.
