I have been unable to eat shrimp since last December when I found out that most shrimp comes from Thailand, and since shelling shrimp is so labor intensive, in Thailand, they use slave labor to shell it, mostly refugees from Myanmar. On the one hand there is a huge international movement to end this practice, so that’s good. On the other, it provides work for people. While the situation may be slave-like, they do make money. I’m not rationalizing—I’m not eating shrimp—but I am unclear on whether or not this helps.
I am also not clear on who’s going to tell me when this is over. I’m still not eating grapes
“The Global Slavery Index estimates that Thailand is home to nearly half a million enslaved workers, and specifically cites the shrimp industry as a leading contributor.”
“Some have called for a boycott of seafood linked to Thailand. Others have dismissed the idea as counterproductive, arguing that continuing to source from the country but demanding better oversight is a more practical and ultimately effective approach.”
Read the entire article here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/12/15/the-shocking-truth-about-shrimp-today/?tid=hybrid_experimentrandom_1_na