Draft:Wei Yu 18

Wei Yu 18 is a Chinese fishing vessel part of the distant-water fishing fleet, operating primarily in international waters, targeting squid. It has been involved in several controversies related to labor abuses and poor working conditions.

History and Operations
The Wei Yu 18 was built in September 2012 for Weihai Huanhai Aquatic Co., Ltd., a company based in Weihai, Shandong Province, China. The Wei Yu 18 is a specialized hand liner vessel referred to as a "Squid Jigger" designed to catch squid using a method called "jigging." This method involves handlines and hand-operated pole-and-lines that the use multiple lines, each equipped with numerous barbless, luminescent jigs that attract and catch squid.

The Wei Yu 18 primarily targets neon flying squid. This species is a significant focus for many Chinese squid-jigging fleets, especially during specific seasons. The vessel also targets Japanese flying squid, depending on the fishing authorizations and seasonality. The fishing operations are mainly conducted in international waters, particularly around the western shores of South America and other regions known for high squid populations. The Wei Yu 18 is currently authorized by the Chinese government to fish from 2020 to 2025.

Labor Abuse Allegations and Deaths
The vessel, along with several other Chinese ships, have been implicated in numerous reports of labor abuses, particularly involving Indonesian crew members who have faced long working hours, inadequate nutrition, and violent treatment. These conditions have led to severe health issues, including instances of beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency, which has resulted in several deaths among the crew. When the Environmental Justice Foundation interviewed 116 Indonesian crew members who worked on Chinese ships in distant waters between September 2020 and August 2021, approximately 97% reported experiencing some form of debt bondage or having their money and documents confiscated. Additionally, 58% of the crew members reported witnessing or enduring physical violence.

The living conditions on the Wei Yu 18 were reported as dire. Crew members slept in cramped quarters with soggy foam mattresses and rust-colored drinking water that tasted metallic. They were only provided with salt water for bathing. The Indonesian crew, being Muslim, had to pick out pork pieces from their meals, which were often mixed by the Chinese cook. Violence was a common occurrence, with the foreman and captain frequently beating the crew for minor mistakes or delays. An investigation by the Outlaw Ocean Project found Indonesian crew members on the Wei Yu 18 were subject to conditions of forced labor and abuse on them.

With at least 2 dead crew members, 1 being from severe beriberi, and 6 potential beriberi cases. At least 1 of the deceased Wei Yu 18 crew members' body was initially put in the freezer before being buried at sea, the date of this being unknown, and on at least one occasion the Wei Yu 18 disembarked with a dead body from Montevideo in 2013.

Death of Fadhil
Fadhil was a 24-year-old Indonesian deckhand who boarded on August 28, 2018, from the port of Busan, South Korea. He joined a crew of nine other Indonesians and twenty Chinese workers. Fadhil and his fellow Indonesian crew members were recruited through a manning agency called PT Shafar Abadi. They were promised decent wages but soon found themselves subjected to grueling 18- to 24-hour workdays, seven days a week, with no sick leave or overtime. Their contracts included numerous deductions and penalties, which significantly reduced their expected earnings. They often had to surrender important documents as collateral and were only paid in full after completing their contracts, which was illegal in many countries.

By August 2019, a year into the voyage, an outbreak of beriberi struck the crew. Fadhil fell severely ill, experiencing extreme fatigue, swelling, and difficulty breathing. Despite completing his one-year contract, he was denied permission to return home for medical treatment. Instead, he was given expired medication and left to deteriorate. Fadhil's condition worsened, leading to seizures and eventually his death in September 2019.

Legal Issues
On November 16, 2023, a non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. filed a legal petition with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), requesting the agency to halt the importation of squid linked to the Wei Yu 18. This came after highlighted in an investigation by The Outlaw Ocean Project, which documented significant labor abuses including the death of Fadhil.

The petition, known as a Withhold Release Order (WRO), was submitted by the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable. This organization advocates for the stringent enforcement of laws to prevent corporate abuse. The petition is based on Section 307 of the United States Tariff Act of 1930, which prohibits the importation of goods produced with forced or prison labor.