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Uncovering human trafficking at sea

GIJC - November 23, 2025

Moderated by Federico Acosta Rainis

Data Specialist - Pulitzer Center

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Adobe Stock

  • Hidden human rights crisis at sea�
  • Systemic impunity / lack of regulation�
  • Illicit networks fuel the abuse

Why does it matter?

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Dark waters: The hidden crisis of seafarer trafficking

Katie McQue, Investigative Journalist

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Intro

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  • Freelance investigative journalist based in Brooklyn – previously in UAE and the UK
  • Covering human rights, human trafficking, tech, defense and energy, finance
  • The Guardian, Washington Post, ICIJ, Rappler, Al Jazeera
  • Pulitzer Center 2024 Ocean Reporting Network Fellowship
  • US Correspondent for The Observer (UK)

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What does human trafficking look like at sea?

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Finding sources

Look for rogue companies:

  • News reports of companies caught smuggling
  • International Labour Organization database of seafarer abandonments
  • US Treasury Department’s sanctions lists and announcements
  • International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
  • Seafarer charities
  • Experienced captains

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Using social media to locate seafarers

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  • Merchant seafarers on LinkedIn, where they list their employers
  • The younger seafarers are very active on TikTok and Instagram
  • Facebook is key. They often list their employers on their profiles/groups
  • Keyword searches related to vessels and companies of interest
  • WhatsApp groups

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Interviews

Topic

Key Points / Prompts

Indicators of Trafficking / Forced Labour

- Recruitment fees

- Deceptive recruitment practices

- Threats or coercion

- Unfair contracts

- Passport/document confiscation

- Deception about destination or job

- Promised salary vs. actual payment

Timeline of Events

- Map full journey from recruitment to current stage

- Ask detailed questions about key/dramatic moments

- Capture vivid details of seafarers’ experiences

Documents to Request

- Photos, crew lists

- Communications with recruiters/employers

- Cargo and insurance documents (vessel ownership)

- Flight tickets and travel documents

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Abandonment of the Gas Falcon

Beira (MZ)

Gas Falcon

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Documents

Vital for tracing ownership structures, which can be very opaque and complex

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Abuses at the sea: Human trafficking, worker exploitation, and IUUF

Abdus Somad, Investigative Journalist

Jaring.id, Tempo Magazine

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Intro

  • Working for Jaring.id, a non-profit outlet based in Jakarta focused on investigative reporting

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  • Pulitzer Center 2023 ORN Fellow, focusing on IUU fishing and human trafficking in Arafura Sea and Natuna

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We found four vessels suspected of human trafficking, using trawl gear, and engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing:

  • Runzeng 05
  • Runzeng 03
  • Fu Yuan Yu F77
  • TMP

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Collaboration Jaring.id and Tempo Magazine

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Tools used

  • Global Fishing Watch
  • Marine Traffic
  • Lloyd's List Intelligence
  • Skytruth
  • Satellite Imagery

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Don't forget to verify, report, and confirm!

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Social media platforms

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Gathering information through social media platforms to learn about vessel activity

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Beneficial ownership

  • Tracking vessel or company ownership
  • Finding Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs)
  • Uncovering conflicts of interest
  • Corruption scandals

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Political connections

  • Connections with the minister’s family
  • Foreign vessels with trawl gear and suspected force labor

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At work, at sea: A Context perspective

Amruta Byatnal, Asia editor,�Context/Thomson Reuters Foundation

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Intro

  • Editor - longform, data and investigations
  • Partnerships - Pulitzer Center, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, Egab
  • Human rights, global health, gender, technology and climate.

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Commissioning, editing and publishing stories on human trafficking at sea

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Fitting niche topics into newsroom priorities

  • Inclusive Economies
  • Workers’ rights
  • India and Philippines
  • ‘Money, Power and People’

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Combination of traditional and novel approaches

  • On ground reporting
  • Social media
  • Tracking supply chain
  • Drawing patterns

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Bringing stories to life

  • Illustrations
  • Bringing readers in
  • Explainers
  • Legal review

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Common Threads

  • Ambition
  • Family
  • Exploitation
  • Laws
  • Data

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Post- reporting journey

  • Formats
  • Word length
  • Publication schedule
  • Post publication tracking

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Thank you!

Katie McQue

katielmcque@gmail.com

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Abdus Somad

somad@jaring.id

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Amruta Byatnal

amruta.byatnal@thomsonreuters.com

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Federico Acosta Rainis

frainis@pulitzercenter.org

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