More than 500 medical kits are being distributed to Thailand’s fishing fleet by Bangkok-based seafood giant Thai Union through a new initiative to enhance the health and safety of workers onboard fishing vessels.
Distributed to the fishing communities that Thai Union sources from in Thailand, the kits include COVID-19 antigen self-testing kits. These will be distributed to vessels in Thai Union’s supply chain and will ensure that fishers have immediate access to basic medicines, a requirement under Thai Union’s Vessel Code of Conduct, and tests to find out whether they have COVID-19.
Thai Union will also distribute kits to the wider fishing community by providing them to its NGO partner, ITF Fishers’ Rights Network (FRN), which is in contact with other fishers and fishing companies.
FRN already has a presence in coastal provinces in Thailand and have a track record in working on labour rights issues in the fishing industry.
“The ITF Fishers Rights Network is committed to raising health and safety standards throughout the seafood supply chain and is excited to partner with Thai Union to ensure that fishers have immediate access to basic medicine and first aid equipment onboard,” ITF Thailand Project Lead, Jon Hartough, said.
“FRN will continue working with vessel owners and partners to verify that first aid kits are regularly checked and restocked, and that fishers are trained on emergency injury procedures and safe practices at sea. Thai Union is taking a leading role in efforts to protect fishers throughout their supply chain, and we hope other industry players will follow.”
Thai Union Director of Sustainability Asia, Prad Kerdpairoj, said, “Fishers are the lifeblood of our industry, and it’s critical we demonstrate leadership in improving and protecting their health and safety at sea. This is a core part of our SeaChange sustainability strategy, which not only advocates for healthy oceans, but better work and welfare for fishers in our supply chain. We have aligned this work with the Thai Ministry of Labour’s recent call for employers to implement health and safety measures at sea in line with the Thai laws.”
Each kit contains 20 medical items and instructions in Thai, Burmese and Cambodian.
Third party audits of vessels and feedback from ITF identified that most Thai vessels have very basic medical supplies and that there is still a low level of understanding and training to use them.
Thai Union said the initiative bolsters its existing programme to enhance the health and safety of workers onboard fishing vessels by running training sessions together with ITF. This has been funded in collaboration with Mars Petcare, Nestlé and The JM Smucker Co.
The partners have already provided health and safety training for 350 individuals and distributed 120 medical kits. With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, Thai Union will intensify its in-person vessel crew training in the coming months.
With a global workforce of more than 44,000 people, Thai Union’s annual sales exceed US$ 4.5 billion. Its brand portfolio includes Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar and Rügen Fisch.
