The tropical shrimp industry in Thailand exploits both people and the environment, a major new Ecostorm film reveals. The film, produced in association with Link TV and Swedwatch, highlights how so-called ‘trash fish’ is caught by Thai trawlers operating – sometimes illegally – in foreign waters before being ground into fishmeal for use in farmed prawn – or shrimp – feed. As fishing stocks are depleted, local fishermen are negatively affected.
Thai trawler operators often hire Burmese migrant workers who sometimes suffer brutal exploitation and abuse whilst at sea for lengthy periods. The Thai prawn industry is the largest of its kind in the world and supplies prawns to European consumers.
More from the investigation:
Slavery behind our seafood Read Jim Wicken’s special report on the exploitation of Burmese migrants working on Thai fishing trawlers
Blood Fish Read Andrew Wasley’s report on why we should blacklist tropical shrimp from our shopping baskets
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