Correspondence
Email sent to the communications team at Bidfresh.
The email said that Bidfresh has imported squid from the Chinese processor, Rongcheng Haibo. Roncheng Haibo has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment programs which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor. Rongcheng Haibo is a Chishan Group company. Fishing vessels owned by the group have been observed fishing in North Korean waters in contravention of UN sanctions and fishing illegally in Indonesian waters. The group also owns at least two reefer vessels which have transshipped with dozens of fishing ships tied to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as well as human rights abuses. The email asked for comment.
Michael Hansen, Head of Central Frozen, Deli and Ambient Seafood Purchasing at Bidfresh issued a statement, saying: "Whilst we have not purchased any product from Rongcheng Haibo for several years, we would like to reiterate that as a business, we take the welfare of those working within our supply chain incredibly seriously and vet each of our suppliers to ensure that they align to the stringent welfare and modern slavery policies we have in place."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied: We just wanted to follow-up on one element: Trade records show a shipment from Rongcheng Haibo of frozen cuttlefish and squid consigned to Bidfresh in 2021. Could Bidfresh confirm that this was the last shipment it received from Haibo? Does Bidfresh have any comment on why it sourced seafood from this supplier in 2021? The Bidfresh Modern Slavery Statement 2017-18 identified some of the same risks in the company’s frozen squid supply chain that have surfaced in our investigation and which we outlined in our email concerning this supplier, dated July 31. Did Bidfresh put any measures in place to respond to those squid supply chain risks once they had been identified for the 2017-18 Modern Slavery Statement, and if so, what were they?
Michael Hansen, Head of Central Frozen, Deli and Ambient Seafood Purchasing at Bidfresh, issued the following statement in response: “We are aware of the current investigation surrounding a previous supplier to Bidfresh and are deeply saddened to hear the allegations regarding the exploitation of their staff. “Whilst we’ve not purchased any product from Rongcheng Haibo for several years, any identified risks regarding them as a supplier whilst we were trading with them were challenged and investigated thoroughly via our strict supplier approval process, and at that time we were comfortable with the outcome of this. We would like to reiterate that as a business, we take the welfare of those working within our supply chain incredibly seriously and vet each of our suppliers to ensure that they align to the stringent welfare and modern slavery policies we have in place.”