An unexplained death, ‘abuse and slavery’: Indonesian fishers reveal life on long haul vessels

The death of a crew member on a Chinese-owned trawler in the Indian Ocean illustrates the lack of accountability in the seafood industry, say advocates

Ricky* was one of the first to see his crewmate’s dead body. It was 2023 and he was six months into a stint at sea, working on a longline tuna boat in the Indian Ocean for $480 a month. The crew were mostly Indonesian, like Ricky, or Chinese, like the captain and owners of the boat.

In the days leading up to Ricky’s crewmate’s death, the 29-year-old Indonesian, referred to as YK, had been increasingly depressed onboard, repeatedly asking to be sent home. The captain had refused, says Ricky, who says he saw YK attack the captain.