Correspondence
Email sent to the sales team at NorthSeafood Holland BV.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and a supplier in your supply chain.
NorthSeafood Holland BV has imported shipments of seafood from a supplier called Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd., based in China. Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a state-imposed labor transfer program since 2019 and until at least 2022.
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 schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
Does NorthSeafood Holland BV have any comment or statement to make in response to the above? Please respond to this email by close of business July 18, 2023."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed the sales team at Northseafood Holland: "I contacted you recently regarding the findings of our investigation into forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and am emailing you today to raise additional findings as they relate to Northseafood Holland’s supply chain.
Trade records show that Northseafood Holland has imported shipments of frozen fish from Yantai Longwin, a company based in Shandong, China. Yantai Longwin has also received persons from the Xinjiang region, under the program referenced in my previous email and as recently as March 2023. Does Northseafood Holland have any comment or clarification to make regarding this or my previous email (dated July 13)? Please let me know by close of business on August 7, 2023."
Pieter Post, Sales Manager at Northseafood Holland, replied: "We have stopped the cooperation with this workshop already many year ago, no further comments."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "Could I just clarify one element with you - the trade records show a shipment from Yantai Longwin to Northseafood Holland as recently as 2022, and from Yantai Sanko as recently as 2021. Can you confirm if those are the last shipments from either supplier to Northseafood Holland? And can you confirm that Northseafood’s supply relationship with both companies has ceased, or if you were just referring to Yantai Longwin?"