For over a decade, the seafood aisles of U.S. supermarkets — as well as the tables and buffets of U.S. seafood restaurants—have been a silent stage for a global drama: the sourcing of farmed shrimp from overseas. Behind the allure of affordable pricing lies the hidden reality that human rights and the environment have been debased in the production process.

The current system of farmed shrimp production is not sustainable – not for workers, the environment, or – ultimately – retailers, wholesalers, and consumers. The Indian shrimp sector is rife with forced labor, discrimination, debt bondage, dangerous workplace conditions, hazardous child labor, sexual harassment, threats, environmental destruction and pollution, false and misleading certification schemes, and a general lack of oversight.

Corporate Accountability Lab (CAL) has spent over three years investigating these pervasive issues in the Indian shrimp industry, recently releasing a groundbreaking report titled “Hidden Harvest: Human Rights and Environmental Abuses in India’s Shrimp Industry.”

CAL now seeks public support for our legal strategy, including filing petitions and covering the costs of litigation, travel costs for broader advocacy efforts, and translations of the report into Telugu and Bengali.

Rather than continue down a road based on exploitation, discrimination, and forced labor, companies – and governments – have the opportunity and the duty to act proactively. We must ensure dignity and respect for workers and address the substantial threats to the environment presented by this industry.

Cleaning Up Forced Labor in the Seafood Aisle

Legal strategizing to combat forced labor in India's Shrimp Industry

Team Members