Correspondence
Email sent to Royal Greenland's Director of Operations, Carsten Hjortshoj.
The email said Shandong Meijia had received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program. Meijia's website cites Royal Greenland as an international partner. The email also asked for comment.
Royal Greenland's director of Group Marking & Digital, Hanne Kvist, replied by email to say that a subsidiary of the group, Royal Greenland Japan Ltd., sources raw material from Greenland for further processing at one of Meijia's facilities and for final distribution in Asian markets. The email also said: "The Meijia Group is part of Royal Greenland's Supplier Code of Conduct Program, information that we validate on a regular basis."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied, saying that it has gathered evidence showing ethnic minorities from Xinjiang, including Uyghurs, have been deployed to multiple Shandong Meijia Group facilities as recently as May 2023, and asking Royal Greenland for more details about social audits at Meijia Group sites for Royal Greenland's supplier code of conduct.
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Royal Greenland's Director of Operations, Carsten Hjortshoj, and Director of Group Marketing and Digital, Hanne Kvist: "Trade records show that between 2019 and 2022, Royal Greenland sent dozens of shipments of seafood to a processor in China called Rizhao Rirong Aquatic Products Co. Ltd. Rizhao Rirong is a Rongsense Group company. The Group has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China since 2017 under the state-imposed labor transfers we referenced in our email to Royal Greenland dated June 14, 2023. Does Royal Greenland have any comment to make regarding the above information?"