The Outlaw Ocean Project
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The Outlaw Ocean Project

I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and one of your suppliers - Findus.

Findus is supplied white fish by NorthSeafood Holland B.V. Packaging analysis shows that a Findus product supplied by NorthSeafood Holland is sold by Walmart Canada.

NorthSeafood Holland B.V. imports white fish, including Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified material, from two Chinese seafood processors: Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. and Yantai…

The Outlaw Ocean Project

Our investigation continues to surface additional questions in relation to your company’s supply chain.

Our research shows that Walmart Canada stocks a wide range of High Liner Foods seafood products, and that High Liner Foods supplies white fish to Walmart Canada's own-brand Great Value range.

High Liner has imported shipments of cod, pollock, haddock, yellowfin sole, ocean perch and flounder from Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd., a seafood processor based in China. Yantai Sanko Fisheries Co. Ltd. has received persons from the Xinjiang region of China under a government labor transfer progr…

Stephanie FuscoSenior Manager of Corporate Affaris

Thank you for your email. I’m confirming receipt and that I’m looking into this.

The Outlaw Ocean Project

The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed to check if Walmart Canada had any response to the earlier query.

The Outlaw Ocean Project

We're checking back in with you to see if Walmart Canada has any comment or response to our emails dated August 11 and August 22. Could you please let us know by close of business today?

Stephanie Fusco

Thank you for your email. I do not have an update at this time – the investigation is still ongoing.

The Outlaw Ocean Project

We previously emailed Walmart Canada on September 15, 2023, regarding our investigation into the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry. Since then, our ongoing investigation has uncovered additional evidence.

We have investigators on the ground in China who have been engaging with labor brokers directly involved with the transfer of North Korean workers to factories in China. Through this and other investigative means, including collecting online footage from the plants and interviews with workers recently returned to North Korea from China, we’ve found large numbers of…