Coalition for Ethical and Sustainable Seafood (CSO Coalition)

The Civil Society Organisation Coalition for Ethical and Sustainable Seafood (CSO Coalition) was established in 2016. It consists of national and international CSOs working to address human rights and environmental issues in the Thai seafood sector. The CSO Coalition aims to promote and empower national CSOs in Thailand to build their organizational capacities (staff, research and public advocacy capabilities) and to hold the government and private sector to account for enforcing changes made to the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern the seafood sector.

This collective platform of frontline NGOs aims to work as industry and government ‘watchdogs,’ as well as provide constructive feedback on ongoing reforms. This is supported by the Freedom Fund and Humanity United and the key aim is to address human rights and environmental sustainability issues in the Thai fishing industry.

Falling though the Net

In May 2018, the CSO Coalition formally launched its first collective survey of basic labour rights among migrants working in the Thai fishing sector. The report reveals both signs of progress and existing gaps in the recent industry reforms. The survey was conducted through intensive collaborations between Freedom Fund partner organisations, including Labor Rights Promotions Network, Migrant Workers’ Rights Network, Stella Maris Seafarers, Human Rights Development Foundation and Foundation for Education and Development in Thailand.

The research was conducted between December 2017 and February 2018, during which the CSO partners surveyed 300 migrant workers employed in the Thai fishing industry in six coastal provinces. Survey questions addressed working conditions, terms of employment and employer practices, with a focus on working hours, occupational health and safety and fishers’ interaction with government officials.

Falling through the Net II

The second research survey of basic labour rights among migrants working in Thailand’s fishing sector was published in July 2020.
The research was conducted by the Thai CSO Coalition for Ethical and Sustainable Seafood, in collaborations with Chulalongkorn University's Asian Research Center for Migration. It is based on workers' surveys conducted from July to November 2019, consisting of 475 migrants, from Myanmar and Cambodia, working on fishing vessels across 8 coastal provinces in the northern and eastern coasts of Thailand. The report highlighted key areas of improvement as well as identified policy and implementation gaps in the sector. It concludes with a set of policy recommendations for the Thai government, Thai seafood suppliers, international buyers of Thai seafood products and industry platforms, including the SEA Alliance.