One ship, three deaths: the shocking truth behind working conditions on a Chinese trawler

Damning testimony from the crew of one tuna-fishing vessel has lifted the lid on the treatment of workers in the fleets supplying fish to the UK and EU Abdul was the first to fall sick, in February 2025, four months into his first ever stint on a longline tuna fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean. Told he was “weak” and “overreacting” by other crew members, he forced himself to keep working, even when he could barely stand, his legs swollen and bruised. In the months that followed, other crew m...

By Karen McVeigh