Correspondence
Email sent to The Town Dock’s Director of Marketing & Communications, Kat Smith.
The email described abuses on a jigger owned by Rongcheng Wangdao, including the death of one crew member and disembarkation of a second for medical care after mistreatment on board, and multiple indicators of forced labor among the ship’s crew. It then traced squid from that vessel to the Chishan Group processor Shandong Haidu, which supplies squid products to The Town Dock. The email also noted Chishan ships had been observed fishing in North Korean waters in violation of UN sanctions. The email asked if The Town Dock had any comment.
Kat Smith at The Town Dock emailed back, saying: "We do not have a current relationship with the Chinese squid jigger or processing plant referenced in your inquiry."
Email sent to The Town Dock, asking: "We received confirmation from the processor Shandong Haidu six months ago that it was supplying you with squid. Was that inaccurate then, or has the relationship changed in the meantime?"