Massachusetts lawmakers are considering new legislation filed in response to an investigation of child laborers in New Bedford, the nation’s highest-grossing fishing port. The investigation found that behind warehouse doors, migrant teenagers were doing hazardous work. Some teens as young as 14 operated machines that kill crabs and strip skin and bones off fish. Many worked overnight and went to high school on just an hour or two of sleep.

New bill aims to ban teens in seafood processing

Massachusetts State Rep. Christopher Hendricks filed a bill to ban anyone under 18 from working in seafood processing and packing facilities. The bill also proposes raising the minimum fine for child labor violations in Massachusetts from $500 to $20,000. Hendricks said the higher penalty would push employers to take the law seriously.

In a report by The Public’s Radio, Hendricks states,

“I filed this bill alongside Senator [Mark] Montigny and Representative [Antonio] Cabral in direct response to deeply troubling reports of child labor abuse.”

“A $500 fine for a multimillion-dollar corporation isn’t going to do anything. Now they have an incentive to do their own due diligence.”

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