Uruguay’s Distress Message Reveals Evidence of Forced Labor in the Chinese Fishing Fleet

Photo: Fishing Fleet By: Michael Conglan Source: Wikicommons

At the end of June this year, a woman on the beach in Maldonado (Piriápolis – Uruguay) found a bottle with a message written in Chinese, ending with ‘S.O.S.’, indicating a call for help. The Piriápolis City Prefecture initiated an investigation and deciphered the message, revealing that it came from a crew member of the Chinese vessel Lu Qing Yuan Yu 765, which had been trapped by its company. Although there was no immediate emergency situation on the ship, it was discovered that the crew had not set foot on land for two years, revealing the challenging working conditions of the Chinese fishing fleet in the South Atlantic.

Labor abuses aboard Chinese fishing vessels have been frequent in the region, with grueling work hours, a lack of proper sanitary conditions, and cases of forced labor. These issues have led to multiple incidents and crew protests, drawing attention to the need to address these concerns in terms of both labor rights and marine conservation in the South Atlantic.

Top headline:

Dialogo Américas. (2023, 13 septiembre). Uruguay: mensaje de socorro evidencia trabajo forzoso en la flota pesquera china

Find out more:

Infobae . (2023, 4 julio). Qué encontró la justicia uruguaya al inspeccionar el buque pesquero chino desde el que lanzaron una botella pidiendo socorro.