Six years of collaboration between the Japan Consumers' Co-op Union and WWF: Behind the Scenes of Indonesia's Certification (Part 2)
2025
Since its founding in 2004, the Thailand-based Labor Protection Network (LPN) has worked to rescue approximately 5,000 victims of slave labor in fish processing plants and on fishing boats, and to improve the rights of workers.The documentary film "Ghost Fleet" (Japanese title: "Ghost Fleet: The Hidden Dark Side of the Seafood Industry"); hereinafter referred to as "Ghost Fleet") will be screened in Japan from May 2022, 5.
We spoke to Patima Tampuchayakul, founder and manager of LPN, who has visited the site in Indonesia many times and worked hard to rescue and support fishermen, about her thoughts on LPN's activities and the message she is sending through the film.
- Please tell us how you came to make a documentary film.
We have been working closely with domestic and international media on rescue operations to uncover the truth about what is happening to fishermen on islands such as Benjina and Ambon.
In 2009, I met a female journalist who was working at BBC Radio at the time and was interviewed by her. After that, she started her own company called Shannon Services and accompanied us to Indonesia in 2016. She also had connections with an American film production company, and we filmed "Ghost Fleet" over the course of three years starting in 2016.
The documentary film "Ghost Fleet," which closely follows LPN's investigation into modern slavery on Thai fishing boats and their rescue efforts, was completed in 2018. ©Vulcan Productions, Inc. and Seahorse Productions, LLC.
It was a documentary film that closely followed our activities, but I never imagined that I would appear in it.
-- Is that so? No, no, you're actually the lead. How did you feel when you found out you were going to be the main character?
I was a little confused. I was like, really? Because in the movie I'm like a superwoman, but in reality I'm just a regular person.
-- It's amazing how you were able to film this life-risking rescue operation so realistically. How many people were in your team that went to Indonesia?
The team consisted of about 15 people, including the cameraman and film crew.
- What scene in the movie did you find particularly dangerous?
It was night, and we were rowing a boat up to shore. It was very dark, and I knew I had to leave in about 20 minutes, or else something bad would happen. I was responsible for the safety of my team.
-- "Ghost Fleet" was completed in 2018 and won awards at international film festivals, and was also screened in the United States in 2019. What was the reaction in Europe and the United States?
They were shocked because they had no idea about the reality of "modern slavery". I think it's good that the film has made Western seafood industry companies more aware of this issue. At the same time, I think it's important to work closely with consumers, because consumers can put pressure on distributors.
-- Japan is one of the world's largest importers of seafood. What do you expect from the Japanese government and the fishing industry to improve the current situation?
I would like to see more attention paid to the issue of slave labor. I would like distributors to always be on the lookout for exploitative situations anywhere in their supply chains and to work to improve the working and living conditions of workers.
Modern slaves on fishing boats are forced to work long hours in poor working conditions without being able to come ashore for years. (From the film "Ghost Fleet") ©Vulcan Productions, Inc. and Seahorse Productions, LLC.
-- Please give us a message for the film ahead of its screening in Japan.
I would be grateful if all of our readers would come to the screening of "Ghost Fleet." And I would like you to tell your friends, colleagues, family, and other people around you about the situation you saw in the film. Fish does not just have to be fresh. It also has to be environmentally friendly and not caught by slave labor. For a sustainable society, I want you to continue asking yourself, "Where does this fish come from?"
The fish you eat may have been caught by modern slaves. (From the film "Ghost Fleet") ©Vulcan Productions, Inc. and Seahorse Productions, LLC.
-- Indeed, Patima in the movie looks like a superwoman. How do you spend your private time?
As I said before, I'm just a normal person. We're like one big family, including the people who were rescued and are temporarily staying in the shelter, so I have a lot to do with the staff, but I try to find time for myself. Well, I love to cook. I also enjoy gardening.
The time we talk together over the coffee my husband makes for me in the morning. And the 30-minute drive to take my son Pui Mei to school. I treasure these moments with my family.
Happy family time celebrating Songkran, the Thai New Year, in April 2022 (Photo by Patima Thampuchayakul)
-- The innocent Pui Mei who appeared in the film left a lasting impression on me. He was still a young child at the time of filming. It's been about three years since the film was completed and released in the United States in 2019, but how old is he now?
Pui Mei is now 10 years old.
--How do you explain the rescue operation to Pui Mei?
"I go to help Thai people and migrant workers who are suffering on fishing boats," he said. Pui Mei understands the situation well and has compassion for those around her. Whenever the situation is not dangerous, such as when meeting with the victimized fishermen, she takes Pui Mei with her.
--Was it difficult for you to leave your family behind and head off to a remote Indonesian island to carry out rescue operations?
Pui Mei asked, "Why should my mother go?" "Why don't you get someone else to go?" But I don't want to put other people at risk. It's a very risky job.
Patima visits a remote Indonesian island and listens to the stories of stranded fishermen. (From the film "Ghost Fleet") ©Vulcan Productions, Inc. and Seahorse Productions, LLC.
If something were to happen to me... I think my husband and son could handle it. I'm not worried about that.
--What motivates you to continue your life-risking rescue efforts?
Maybe it's a sense of justice that makes me think, "I have to do something." When I see something that is injustice or unfair, I can't help but do something. Even if people say, "That's normal. That's just the way the world is," I feel that I have to do something to help others.
-- I'm sure there have been many difficult moments in your work so far. Were you ever close to giving up?
Not even once. I always tell myself, "Even if something were to happen to me, I've already saved 5,000 lives, so that's OK." That gives me courage.
A Thai fisherman (far right) who had been stranded on Benjina Island in Indonesia was rescued thanks to the efforts of LPN members including Patima (front row, left), and local people see him off at the port as he returns to his home country. (Photo provided by LPN)
-- What is your ultimate goal?
There are three. The first is to empower migrant workers and Thai children. The second is to create a network for migrant workers and Thai people to help each other. And the third is to raise awareness among distributors and consumers about IUU fishing, where slave labor still persists.
I believe that anyone can achieve their goals if they believe in what they are doing and keep going. IUU fishing and human trafficking are big issues for everyone. We need to take it seriously. We need to help each other to protect human rights, protect the environment, and make seafood sustainable.
Patima Tungpuchayakul
After graduating from Mahasarakham University in Thailand in 1996, she became interested in human rights issues after noticing the abuse of migrant workers, especially women and children, by local factory owners in the north of Bangkok. In 2004, she co-founded the Labor Rights Promotion Network Foundation (now the Labor Protection Network; LPN) with Sompong Srakaew. She has been involved for over 20 years in campaigning to support and protect Thai people, raise awareness of chronic human rights violations, and improve the lives of migrant workers and reform employment laws. She continues to work on resolving the issue of slave labor occurring at sea and on land in areas surrounding Thailand.
Interviewed and written by: Chiho Iuchi
After working for the Japan Finance Corporation for Small and Medium Enterprises (now the Japan Finance Corporation) and the English newspaper The Japan Times, he became a freelancer in 2016. He was a lecturer in the English Newspaper Production Planning course at Hosei University from 2016 to 2019. He writes articles mainly about culture and technology in both English and Japanese.
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