Labor Day in the USA spurs thoughts of responsible labor practices in Seafood

This Monday is the 125th celebration of Labor Day in the United States. It was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland, proving even the most obscure of Presidents can make their mark in history. Labor Day honors the American labor movement and the power of collective action by laborers but I suspect most Americans couldn’t tell you that if asked. It’s easy to take labor rights for granted when one has confidence that these rights are not in jeopardy. I won’t debate whether Americans have adequate protections. I think that we can agree that Seafood is one of many industries where workers in some parts of the world are not being treated well. What can we do about it?

The first step is awareness and we have good news here. Based on my encounters I see this has emerged as a primary focus of many. Almost all sustainability certifications have added a social responsibility component to new certifications or recertifications. Additionally, people want to learn about their responsibilities as members of our community. Seafood Expo North America included CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) as one of the tracks for which they were seeking submissions for their speaking conference next March. I was also approached about constructing a panel on ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), translation of business methodologies into data investors can use to make portfolio decisions based on your company’s systemic capability to ensure responsible performance environmentally and socially.

What tools do you have to ensure that the people who help you bring Seafood to the table are being treated fairly? I’m still learning too but here are a couple of suggestions. Buying locally helps. You can trace the employment chain. If you’re importing use the U.S. Department of Labor’s “Sweat and Toil” app to see if the source country is at risk for forced or child labor. Limit or control transshipments so you can identify how and by whom your fish is caught if possible. Buy products with certifications that incude a social protection component.  Fair Trade is the gold standard but most of the certification programs are doing a very good job putting protections in place. This should cover much of your purchases but there will always be something left.  For this I strongly encourage you to buy from reputable dealers who are aware of and working on addressing this issue. Ensuring responsible labor practices is difficult and messy but considering the stakes this is an issue that we can’t ignore!