Thai man arrested on boat believed to be carrying slave fish
FAKHRURRADZIE GADE, Associated Press
MARGIE MASON, Associated Press
ROBIN McDOWELL, Associated Press

SABANG, Indonesia (AP) — The Thai captain of a seized cargo ship carrying an estimated $2 million worth of seafood has been arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of illegal fishing, in the latest development linked to an Associated Press investigation that uncovered a slave island earlier this year. At least one other crew member is still under scrutiny.

The massive Thai-owned Silver Sea 2 was first identified by AP in July through a high-resolution photo taken from space, showing slave-caught fish being loaded onto the refrigerated vessel in Papua New Guinea's waters. The AP then tracked the ship through its satellite beacon and informed Indonesian authorities when it crossed into their waters on its way home to Thailand.

Friday's arrest is one of at least 10 made in Indonesia and Thailand since the investigation tied the catch of migrant workers forced to fish to the supply chains of major U.S. food sellers and pet food companies six months ago. As a result, more than 2,000 men from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos have been identified or sent home, a multi-million dollar Thai-Indonesian fishing business has been shut down, class action lawsuits have been filed and new laws have been introduced.

Touring the Silver Sea 2 on Friday, Indonesian Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said she believed the frozen fish filling up its holds came from eastern Indonesia's Arafura Sea, where foreign fishing vessels are banned. She also said authorities are looking further into evidence that suggests the ship may be linked to the human trafficking ring described by AP. The Silver Sea 2 is accused of receiving illegally caught fish at sea and turning off its satellite beacon. Its remaining 16 crew members will be deported.

Pudjiastuti said she hoped anyone found guilty would face harsh punishment as a deterrent, and added the vessel may be destroyed. Indonesia has already blown up dozens of smaller foreign boats accused of illegal fishing. The 2,285-ton ship is now at a naval base in Sabang in the country's far northwestern tip where it was seized last month.

"If the court decides it should be confiscated, then we will sink it," she said.

Silver Sea Reefer Co., which owns Silver Sea 2, maintains it has done nothing wrong.

Thailand's fishing industry, worth $7 billion a year in exports, relies on tens of thousands of poor migrant laborers who come seeking jobs mainly from neighboring countries. They often are tricked, sold or kidnapped and put onto boats sent to distant foreign waters to fish. Refrigerated cargo ships are used to pick up seafood and sometimes transport new slaves, although no victims of trafficking were found on the Silver Sea 2.

Late last year, AP journalists saw slave-caught fish being loaded onto another reefer owned by Silver Sea in the Indonesian island village of Benjina, where men were found locked in a cage for asking to go home. In written surveys conducted with nearly 400 rescued slaves, several also told AP they were trafficked to Indonesia from Thailand aboard Silver Sea ships, including Silver Sea 2.

The high-resolution photo taken from space for AP by U.S.-based commercial satellite imagery company DigitalGlobe showed the Silver Sea 2 in Papua New Guinea with its holds open and a trawler tethered to each side, loading fish. Analysts identified the smaller boats as among those that fled Benjina earlier this year, crewed by enslaved men who said they were routinely beaten and forced to work nearly nonstop with little or no pay. Another Thai cargo ship was also impounded in Papua New Guinea after eight trafficking victims were found on board.

The AP's work was entered into the U.S. congressional record for a hearing, after links were made to the supply chains of American companies such as Wal-Mart, Sysco, Kroger, Fancy Feast, Meow Mix and Iams. The businesses have all said they strongly condemn labor abuse and have taken steps to prevent it. Congress is scheduled to discuss the AP findings again later this month.

____

Mason reported from Jakarta, Indonesia, and McDowell from Singapore. Associated Press video journalist Vasapa Wanichwethin contributed to this report from Bangkok.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-09-26

That's the way to go :
"If the court decides it should be confiscated, then we will sink it," she said.

That's the way to go :

"If the court decides it should be confiscated, then we will sink it," she said.

... and a "boat believed to be carrying slave fish" ...

Land of Slavery ...

Red card on its way.

Red card on its way.

Let us hope so.

I suspect theres a lot of gropers around this part of the world..but slavefish, must be a new species

The Burmese are proving to difficult to traffick and scapegoat so they will now use fish instead.

At least those bloody fish cant tell anyone whats going on.

Or it might just slip away when no one is looking,much like

the one in Phuket

regards Worgeordie

Nice large vessel. Someone will be shitting bricks in Samutsakhon.

https://www.wcpfc.int/node/17228

Or it might just slip away when no one is looking,much like

the one in Phuket

regards Worgeordie

Perhaps the Indonesians are a bit more serious about cleaning up this stinking industry?

Slave Fish? Has anyone watched Foosh? The Kunta Minow character?

Nice large vessel. Someone will be shitting bricks in Samutsakhon.

https://www.wcpfc.int/node/17228

They won't be able to shove this under the rug now .

http://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1843976/satellites-track-missing-slave-fishing-boats-secret-journey

"slave fish" commonly used to do the cooking and cleaning on fishing boats.

time to actually charge those that own/run the company and strip their assets,. They have already been caught out before doing the same thing so why are they still free, why havent they been arrested, claiming they are doing nothing wrong has already been proven to be a lie so come on general, get the police to arrest these ars*holes for dealing in slaves and seize their assets to pay for all the damage they have been doing.

The well connected in action,

Still !

200 Million hungry Indo's to feed, not going to tolerate their food supply being stolen.

Nice large vessel. Someone will be shitting bricks in Samutsakhon.

https://www.wcpfc.int/node/17228

Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of rum send er to Davey Jones locker. Tie the Jolly Roger or Skull and Crossbones on first. Tie the captain to the steering wheel so he can go down with the ship. End of illegal fishing.

I suspect theres a lot of gropers around this part of the world..but slavefish, must be a new species

Kunta Kippa?

It was reported elsewhere that the Silver Sea Reefer Co owns at least nine refrigerated cargo ships in Thailand.

At lease the Indonesians seem determined to not let this vessel get away (unlike Thai authorities recently http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-marine-office-stays-quiet-on-fleeing-fishing-trawler-54101.php).

Slave fish? Is that a new species or are the using these slave fish to catch fish?

Thais are also made slaves not only Cambodians or Burmese. My wife told me her uncle from Khon Kaen left to go on a fishing boat when she was 10. He came back once 15 years ago and was never heard from again. But we don't hear from the Thais who should be against this.

I suspect theres a lot of gropers around this part of the world..but slavefish, must be a new species

What gives you this feeling, riding in crowed buses and BTS at rush hour?

That's the way to go :

"If the court decides it should be confiscated, then we will sink it," she said

Why sink it? Sell to a local Indonesian fishing venture! Turn the confiscation into money

Nice large vessel. Someone will be shitting bricks in Samutsakhon.

https://www.wcpfc.int/node/17228

Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of rum send er to Davey Jones locker. Tie the Jolly Roger or Skull and Crossbones on first. Tie the captain to the steering wheel so he can go down with the ship. End of illegal fishing.

By the time you find a "steering wheel" on a ship you'll come to the realization that the captain is as much a slave as the ones hauling in the fish.

Will someone who cares about Thailand write a letter to the Postbag, at Bangkok Post. Ask the government why it's doing nothing to close down Silver Sea Reefer Co. Name and shame the Thai owners. I've written, but did not get published.

Slave fish? That's just wrong.

Will someone who cares about Thailand write a letter to the Postbag, at Bangkok Post. Ask the government why it's doing nothing to close down Silver Sea Reefer Co. Name and shame the Thai owners. I've written, but did not get published.

That letter will never be published. The company has very good connections...to everyone all the way to the top. Land of Slaves and Land of Scams, indeed....but it is only the elite who are deeply corrupt -- for the rest of Thais corruption is only a hobby.

Or it might just slip away when no one is looking,much like

the one in Phuket

regards Worgeordie

Have no fear, this one will not sneak out, Indonesian Navy is a little more astute than that.

Or it might just slip away when no one is looking,much like

the one in Phuket

regards Worgeordie

Perhaps the Indonesians are a bit more serious about cleaning up this stinking industry?

Again it's just for show by the Indonesian Government. They have been fishing illegally in Australian waters for decades. Using whatever means they can to get away with it. When they are caught in Aussie waters their ships are burnt & sunk. Fishermen are then deported back to their country. They also use slave labour from places such as Timor.

It is to be hoped if they do decide to sink the vessel that it is decommissioned properly first or it will pollute the water. On the other hand why not cut it up for scrap?

Slave fish - fish caught with slave labour. Yet another example of TV's incorrect use of the English language.