Fish, with a side of slavery
Bloomberg Businessweek just published an exposé of debt bondage and modern slavery in the fishing industry in New Zealand. In the wake of the report, both Wal-Mart and Safeway are launching investigations into their New Zealand supply chains. The personal stories behind these headlines are horrific: 30-hour shifts of hard physical labor, no medical help for severed fingers or broken hands, constant beatings and sexual abuse. While these types of atrocities are rife in the seafood industry, you won’t hear much about them in circles discussing “sustainability.” The term…