Seoul: A fleet of Chinese distant-water fishing vessels used North Korean crews between 2019 and 2024 in violation of UN bans, and many were apparently subjected to abuses including being trapped at sea for years, a report published Monday said.
The Environmental Justice Foundation, a London-based group specialising in environmental and human rights issues, said it identified the presence of North Koreans across 12 Chinese tuna long-liners operating in the southwest Indian Ocean.
The report was mostly based on interviews with 19 Indonesians and Filipinos who worked alongside the North Koreans. “The testimony received from Indonesian and Filipino crew members suggests that concerted efforts were made to hide the presence of North Koreans on these vessels, and that those North Koreans on board were forced to work for as many as 10 years at sea -- in some instances without ever stepping foot on land,” the report said.