prawns

Cheap seafood costs too much in human suffering

Posted by Willie — 14 December 2015 at 1:09pm - Comments
All rights reserved. Credit: Dita Alangkara/Associated Press
Children and teenagers sit together to be registered by officials during a raid on a shrimp shed in Samut Sakhon, Thailand.

About 8 years ago, I had the joy of doing a live news interview from a fish processing factory in Grimsby. Being in a fish processing factory in Grimsby was fine, it was wearing a hair net on national TV that wasn’t.

The story being discussed was seafood brand Young’s decision to ship UK-caught shrimp all the way to Thailand and back, a move that was ‘better’ in terms of CO2 emissions, and cheaper for consumers.

But what price do we pay for cheap seafood?

John West owner Thai Union allegedly connected to forced labour and child labour - Greenpeace statement

Last edited 14 December 2015 at 12:10pm
14 December, 2015

An Associated Press investigation released today has found that Thai Union, owner of John West in the UK, has again been connected to forced labour, child labour and horrific working conditions in Thailand. The investigation followed trucks transporting prawns from the Gig Peeling Factory to major Thai exporting companies, and then tracked where the product ended up globally.

The investigation found that migrants, including children, were forced to work for little or no pay peeling prawns which ended up in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Hardcore prawns: trashing tropical seas for a cheap treat

Posted by Willie — 28 February 2013 at 5:24pm - Comments

When I was little, salmon and shrimps were posh, fancy food, served up at celebrations and the like. Fast forward a few decades and both of those have descended to becoming everyday food, available in pre-packed sandwiches and cheap meals in every supermarket.

But cheap and available at what real cost?

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