Films
Together we are strong: Liberia's fishmongers building fairer fisheries
“Together we are strong” follows the election runs of three women in Liberia as they campaign for leadership positions in the Buchanan CMA. Shoulder to shoulder with their fellow VSLA members, these women are speaking up, determined to have a say in how the resources that underpin their livelihoods are managed.
Towards the abyss: How the rush to deep-sea mining threatens people and our planet
The deep sea remains a pristine ecosystem, largely untouched by human activity. But deep-sea mining, which could be allowed to start as early as July 2023 threatens to significantly disturb the delicate environment of the deep sea, with devastating consequences for life on earth.
Webinar: "Deep-sea mining: A new industry threatens our ocean"
A new industry is threatening our ocean: Deep-sea mining risks destroying fragile marine ecosystems, precious habitats and undiscovered species, with potentially devastating consequences for our planet’s health, local and indigenous communities, and future generations.
Hidden by murky governance and conflicts of interest, we cannot let companies strip mine the seabed against the opposition of people, scientists, governments and many of the companies they claim they would be providing for. We urgently need to stop deep-sea mining before it has even started.
Recording of the 147th episode of Europe Calling in cooperation with the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) with:
- Steffi Lemke, German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection
- Steven Trent, Executive Director and Founder of the Environmental Justice Foundation
- Dr Lisa Levin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, USA, one of the world's leading experts on the deep seafloor
- Claudia Becker, Senior Expert Sustainable Supply Chain Management at the car manufacturer BMW
- Franziska Brantner, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection
Ocean Defenders: capturing evidence to crack down on illegal fishing in Senegalese waters
Deadly bargain: Western markets and violence against Indigenous people
Pantanal on offer: Global markets and the destruction of the largest tropical wetland on the planet
On the Precipice: crime and corruption in Ghana's Chinese-owned trawler fleet
Fisheries that millions of Ghanaians depend on are at risk of collapse as a result of brazen illegal fishing, catastrophic overfishing by Chinese-owned industrial trawlers and a culture of corruption which has allowed these crimes to go unpunished.
EJF’s investigation draws on evidence from interviews with Ghanaian crew who have witnessed these abuses first-hand, filmed evidence, a network of informants and analysis of vessel tracking data. The picture which emerges is one of systematic corruption that enables illegal fishing and human rights abuses to go unreported and unpunished in the country’s waters. From port authorities to Navy officials, EJF alleges that the web of corruption is so deep and entangled that sustainability, and the defence of human rights, is impossible without reform.
Gamechangers: The football team scoring conservation goals
Reports
EJF Statement in response to the National Fisheries Association of Thailand (NFAT): The National Association of Thai Fisheries, a lobby group for the Thai fishing industry, recently published several claims about the possible roll-back of fisheries legislation in Thailand. This document summarises our responses.
Joint Statement: Call on EU governments to support the EU’s Regulation to prohibit forced labour products: 37 civil society organisations and trade unions from across Europe and beyond today call upon EU Member States to back the inter-institutional agreement reached earlier in March on the Regulation to prohibit products made from forced labour from entering the EU’s Single Market, ensuring new rules enter into force without delay.
Leveling the playing field: Assessing the impact of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in Liberia’s coastal communities: Women play an integral role in Liberia’s small-scale fisheries (SSF). However, the contribution women make to the sector is threatened by challenges that undermine their livelihood opportunities and limit their active participation in fisheries decision-making processes. The Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA) scheme seeks to address these challenges and increase women’s participation in the governance and management of Liberia’s SSF sector. This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the impact of these VSLAs in their respective communities over a period of one year
Briefing to the Japanese government on concerns over seafood products associated with illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and human trafficking entering the Japanese market: This briefing follows careful reviews of the current seafood import control system in Japan. It identifies five major legislative loopholes that should be addressed urgently – these loopholes are insufficient coverage of species, negligence in considering human rights, a lack of transparency, an absence of traceability and insufficient penalties when infractions are detected.
Zhejiang Ocean Family Co. Ltd and its fishy business: The Zhejiang Ocean Family Co., Ltd. (大洋世家(浙江)股份公司 / ZOF) is a leading fishery company in Chinese and global seafood supply chains. This investigation found that 12 vessels owned or chartered by ZOF or a ZOF subsidiary were systematically engaged in different forms of IUU fishing such as shark finning, intentionally killing cetaceans. Vessels were also implicated in a number of human rights abuses including physical abuse, salary deductions, human trafficking and forced labour.