Caught again, Thailand can’t keep wriggling off the hook

Thailand is under an unwelcome international spotlight once again amid revelations about working conditions in its seafood industry. This time, though, the clamour for a boycott of Thai fishery products in the West might be heeded.

A recent investigation by the Associated Press news agency uncovered strong evidence that shrimp being sold in US restaurants and grocery chains had been peeled by migrant labourers working in slave-like conditions in Thailand.

Rights groups have been joined by US politicians in calling on consumers to boycott American retailers that sell seafood from this supply chain. Associated Press implicated dozens of restaurants and supermarket across America and said these outlets exist in all 50 states.

Last year a six-month investigation by the British newspaper the Guardian revealed that much of the shrimp exported from Thailand was processed by workers subjected to torture, wage-pilfering and other rights violations that would be classified as slavery in many countries.

Thai government officials and industry leaders often deflect blame by arguing that the migrants find employment here that is unavailable to them elsewhere. But behind this specious claim of altruism lies a much harsher truth involving the exploitation of desperate individuals in jobs that Thais typically shun.

The shoddy and sometimes dangerous working conditions, the low pay and the long hours bring the price of the product down and help explain why our seafood exports are globally competitive. Meanwhile the migrant workers – most from neighbouring Myanmar and Cambodia – suffer on in silence with scant opportunities to voice their grievances.

The labour rules in place here are poorly policed and easily circumvented by the cynical distribution of enough cash in the right pockets. The funds for these bribes often come out of the workers’ pay, which is already far below the legal minimum wage. And, if the workers don’t pay up, police can be summoned to charge them with illegal entry. 

Migrants put up with subhuman conditions because they have little choice. Many are fleeing hardships, state oppression and warfare. This, however, doesn’t give that the state, society or business sector a licence to mistreat them for gain.

It is unfortunate that it has taken threats from consumers halfway around the world to spur thoughts of change. 

Thailand and the billion-dollar seafood industry of which it is a part must understand that the problem runs much deeper than the working conditions of migrant shrimp-peelers. Closer scrutiny of fishing practices has revealed that Thai fishing boats routinely harvest Indonesian waters, manned by workers from Myanmar so that, if the trawlers are caught, the boat owner can toss the hot potato to the Myanmar government. 

Apart from working conditions and international law, there are also environmental concerns and the matter of dubious methodology. Equipment used to catch fish that can harm other marine species has been banned and efforts are being made to ensure that its use stops.

The fact that the world learns about these questionable practices from media reports suggests that the industry and the government lack the means to verify that the industry is abiding by regulations.

For the government, this is a warning that cannot be ignored. It’s to be hoped that the charges do not become politicised. The world has changed. The earth itself is sick and the water is not as clean as it once was. Nor are fish as abundant.

The linking of labour practices to business and environmental concerns has been a trend in the making for years. It’s time our government came to terms with it and made the needed changes.