OVERVIEW
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PERFORMANCE
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ACTIVITIES
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BURGESS
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FISHERIES
LABOR / WORKING CONDITIONS Human Rights at Sea ... a PDF report by with Foreward by Joanna Ewart-James of Freedom United Full PDF: Does-it-Do-what-it-Says-on-the-Tin-report-Feb-2023.pdf Peter Burgess COMMENTARY One of the (many) themes of TrueValueMetrics. (TVM) is the idea that we can have a better performing world if all of us are more informed and more responsible consumers. Ralph Nader addressed this issue aggressively some 50+ years ago and there were major improvements in product labelling in the United States and Europe better to inform customers about products they were buying. Rather little upgrade of this initiative has happened for a very long time, and there is ample evidence that producers and marketers of products have learned to live with the rules, and indeed have learned how to game the rules. I was the CFO of a company engaged in shrimp fisheries around the world in the 1970s. Our company operated in some 28 different jurisdications around the world. Cultures and social norms were very different, as well as fisheries regulations and industry behavior. There were also a few international fishing companies that chose to ride roughshod over most regulation. There was little or no 'law' out of sight of land and essentially no rules applied. Early in my tenure as CFO, I was asked by an African government whether our trawlers would cooperate with the local naval authorities to report 'illegal fishing' in the territorial waters of the country. I thought this was a good ... that is efficient ... idea, and started to figure out the details. My boss, the President of our company, found out about this discussion and almost had a heart attack telling me that if word got out that this is what are trawlers were doing, they would very quickly disappear in all sorts of unfortunate accidents out of sight of land. The report referenced here (12 pages) Peter Burgess | ||
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By: Joanna Ewart-James
This is the republication of the foreword to the report published by Human Rights at Sea entitled “Does it Do what it says on the Tin? Fisheries and Aquaculture Certification, Standards and Ratings Ecosystem: An Independent Review 1.0” As consumers we are led to believe we hold the power to ensure the goods we buy are not harmful to humans and the planet. In classic economics, companies simply supply what the market demands. We are ‘the market’ and it is the market that sets the price. And we are increasingly aware, in this information age, that price goes far beyond the ticket on the shelf. It’s not just what’s in the tin, but how it got there – the husbandry, the working conditions, the production process. The outcome? A plethora of labels of various certification schemes aimed at meeting that demand. But do these labels really address the true cost and help empower consumers to leverage their purchases to get what they want? This much-needed data-driven examination of labels – certification standards – within the fisheries industry shows that all is not what it might seem. It demonstrates the complexity of a solution based on voluntary standards, beginning with the plethora of schemes, each with its own criteria, inconsistent both in mandate, assessment process and enforcement. The existence of such a report, on just one industry, indicates just how unrealistic it is as a means for consumers to understand the true cost of a product and exercise our purchasing power accordingly. Certification stamps do little to empower consumers to leverage their purchase influence, particularly if their concerns are forced labour. For consumers willing to be proactive to avoid complicity in exploitation, this report shows that the knowledge, time, and analysis needed to assess the meaning of labels on products in an average grocery store basket, from fish to flowers, cotton products to cocoa. The weight of the task at hand undermines any good intentions claimed by such schemes. This report makes clear that consumers cannot be expected to carry the weight of ensuring their purchasing decisions are not tainted by human rights abuses. It underpins the frustration with voluntary principles and the growing calls for mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation across the economy, to set a true baseline of what we agree are international minimum standards, that are then built upon for a future world economy that puts people and the planet above profit. ------------------------------ Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil. A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.
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