Bumble Bee sued by deep-sea crew who say they were forced into ‘fishing boat slavery’

Muhammad Syafi’i remembers screaming in pain as hot cooking oil splashed across his stomach and dripped down his legs, his wet clothing sticking to his torched skin as it began to bubble and swell.

Muhammad Syafi’i remembers screaming in pain as hot cooking oil splashed across his stomach and dripped down his legs, his wet clothing sticking to his torched skin as it began to bubble and swell. Like many poor Indonesian men, he had signed up to work abroad in the fishing industry, where wages are higher than back home. He was hired to work in 2021 as a cook on a ship which supplied fish to Bumble Bee Foods, one of the biggest tuna importers in the United States. But when he got there, he says he was physically abused and forced to work in dangerous and demanding conditions. And when Syafi’i was seriously burned while working in the kitchen, he claims he was left writhing in pain on a bench and denied food, water and access to medical care. Syafi’i’s account is detailed in a new landmark lawsuit filed by four Indonesian fishermen against Bumble Bee Foods. It alleges the tuna giant “knowingly benefitted” from forced labor, debt bondage and other forms of abuse in its supply chain. In a statement provided to CNN, Bumble Bee Seafoods said it became aware of the filing last Wednesday and will not be commenting on pending litigation. The allegations have not been tested in court. The four plaintiffs worked on three different fishing vessels which supplied tuna to Bumble Bee, according to the legal complaint, which was filed on March 12 in federal court in California. While at sea, the men say they were physically abused and held against their will.