A new investigation from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has accused a Scottish fishing firm, as well as its associated companies, of engaging in human trafficking and modern-day slavery onboard its vessels operating in U.K. waters.
According to maritime charity Stella Maris, this investigation has exposed the need to significantly speed up the prosecution of rogue fishing companies and, thereby, support exploited and abused foreign workers.
The investigation – a three-year joint project between BBC Scotland and BBC Radio 4 that recently culminated in the release of the film “Slavery at Sea” – alleges a number of migrant workers who traveled to the U.K. in search of work and a better life were exploited by family-run TN Trawlers and its associated companies.
The film reveals that the U.K. Home Office, a governmental department responsible for immigration and security, officially recognized 35 fishers from the Philippines, Ghana, India, and Sri Lanka as victims of modern slavery between 2012 and 2020 after their cases were referred for review. These workers had been employed by either TN or its associated firms, all of which are owned by the Nicholson family and headquartered in Annan on Scotland’s southern coast.
TN Group has consistently denied any accusation of modern slavery or human trafficking, asserting that its employees were treated well and compensated fairly, with TN in the film also claiming all foreign workers were recruited through reputable and established agencies.
TN Trawlers has been the subject of two criminal investigations, but no charges related to human trafficking or modern slavery have been brought forward officially, despite some of the affected individuals having been prepared to testify for years, the BBC said.
“We are pleased to see the BBC broadcast this program, bringing some much-needed awareness of a deeply troubling issue,” Stella Maris CEO Tim Hill said. “Stella Maris is engaged with a number of agencies in calling for greater urgency in dealing with cases. It is unacceptable to allow these cases of slavery to drift for years on end. It is sending all the wrong signals to rogue employers that think they can behave with relative impunity. Some fishers are stuck in the U.K. for years, not seeing their families while they wait for justice that may or may not come. A successful prosecution is necessary to deter appalling and illegal mistreatment of fishers. This is an invisible crime, taking place out of sight at sea. The authorities and welfare organizations must get better at recognizing what modern-day slavery is, reporting it, and supporting swift criminal prosecutions against those few bad operators.”
Hill said his charity has been supporting fishers who have been victims of slavery and labor exploitation for over 10 years, providing humanitarian and pastoral support including shelter, food, clothing, and financial assistance, among other services.
He also said Stella Maris had reported several cases to the police over the years but found prosecutions “painfully slow,” with fishers left in personal and professional limbo in the U.K. while their cases are assessed.
“Escaping the vessel is the last resort for fishers who are terrified of losing their ability to work, so we still do not know the size of the problem among the 2,500 or so foreign fishers in the U.K.,” he said. “While Stella Maris and our sister charities provide much-needed welfare and financial support for fishers who have escaped, it is critical that law enforcement agencies do more to tackle fisher abuse and slavery, which may require more investment to reinforce their people working tirelessly on the frontline.”
Stella Maris is due to publish its own report …
