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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

IUU 漁業および人権侵害が懸念されている魚介類の 日本市場への流入の可能性について – 日本政府への提言 –: EJFは、現行の制度について注意深い検証を行い、EU、タイ、韓国などを含む世界中の政府との協力経験や実地調査を 活かして、IUUシーフードを市場から排除するために、5つの主要な問題が緊急に解決されるべきだと結論づけました。こ れらの問題は、輸入管理の対象となる魚種が十分に網羅されていないこと、労働者の人権が考慮されていないこと、漁 業界全体の透明性が不足していること、輸入された魚介類が消費者に届くまでの追跡ができないこと、そして罰則が十 分でないことです。

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.

Scourge of the seas: In Thailand, bottom trawling threatens livelihoods, food security and ocean ecosystems. This report examines the impact of a particularly destructive form of bottom trawling, known as pair trawling, and makes recommendations for reform.

Critical minerals and the green transition: do we need to mine the deep seas?: Proponents of deep-sea mining contend it is needed to fill a future gap in the supply of critical minerals required for the clean energy transition. This briefing explains why this argument is flawed.

Securing effective and transparent prosecutions of fisheries violations in Ghana: Recommendations for the reform of the fisheries law framework: This briefing analyses the key gaps and weaknesses in Ghana’s current prosecution system for fisheries violations, both in terms of the legal framework and in terms of practical implementation, and provides recommendations for addressing these issues, considering the ongoing reform of the national fisheries law framework.

Leaving No One Behind: A community-based analysis of gender inclusion and economic vulnerability in Liberia’s small-scale fisheries: This report documents gender issues in the fisheries sector in Liberia and reveals that strategies to advance women's status in small-scale fisheries are still a key development issue. It also shows that marginalised and economically vulnerable groups in Liberia's fishing communities are being excluded from crucial decision-making processes.

Slave labour in the Brazilian cattle ranching industry: the case of the Pantanal and the European market: Slave labour is prevalent in Brazil’s cattle ranching industry. This report investigates slavery on ranches in the Pantanal wetland, including some linked to JBS, the world’s largest meat producer.

Thailand’s progress in combatting IUU, forced labour & human trafficking: EJF observations and recommendations volume 10, 2023: Since February 2016, EJF has carried out multiple in-depth observations of the Royal Thai Government’s (RTG) initiatives aimed at tackling IUU fishing and human trafficking in the Thai fishing industry. This version is the 10th edition of this technical report. It represents the culmination of eight years worth of experience working directly with the Thai authorities as well as conducting independent field assessments of Thailand’s monitoring, control and surveillance mechanisms.

Open letter calling on Lord Cameron to support greater protections for the Pantanal wetland: With COP 28 upon us, it is critical that the international community addresses current threats to the Pantanal, in recognition of the central role it plays in our ability to avoid catastrophic climate breakdown. Alongside MPs, peers and other NGOs in the UK and Brazil, we are calling on Lord Cameron, the UK's Foreign Secretary, to begin this process.