A group of Indonesian fishermen recently filed a lawsuit in the US claiming Bumble Bee Foods failed to stop human rights abuses suffered onboard the company’s contracted fishing ships. But now the seafood giant is asking for the case to be dismissed on legal grounds in an effort to end it before it reaches trial, reports Mongabay. 

“Americans need to know…” 

Believed to be the first of its kind, the forced labor lawsuit is being closely watched. It leverages the Trafficking Victims Protection Act first passed in 2000. Congress has since expanded the important anti-modern slavery legislation. The act now allows survivors to sue individuals or corporations that knowingly benefited from forced labor or related abuses. But the legislation has never been tested in a court of law. 

The four survivors stated in an email about the case: 

“Americans need to know the cruelty and exploitation that is behind the tuna they buy and eat. There was no break from the violence. I was never paid for my work.”  

The four plaintiffs claim they and other crew members faced repeated abuse from the captain and senior crew. Abuse that included beatings with a metal hook and blows to the head amongst many other forms of mistreatment. 

“The pain was unimaginable, and I am surprised I survived, by filing this lawsuit, I hope to make things better for other fishers, so no one suffers like I did.”

Bumble Bee, however, claims they had no knowledge of the offences. They have submitted a motion to the court to dismiss the case. The company argues the survivors have a lack standing for their claims. Further, that they failed to state a proper claim under the law in question and that the court lacks jurisdiction. 

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