Online Harassment Is a Human Rights Issue

As we push for Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) in seafood supply chains, we need to be honest about where we’re falling short—including in our own industry spaces.

Let’s be clear: online bullying and harassment are human rights violations. They infringe on people’s dignity, security, and freedom of expression. When that harassment is carried out by individuals representing seafood companies—or tolerated by the organizations they’re affiliated with—it becomes a corporate responsibility issue, not just a personal one.

And yet, here we are. In an industry that prides itself on traceability, transparency, and social responsibility, we still turn a blind eye when colleagues, especially women and people of color, are targeted and harassed online by others within the seafood space.

That’s not just unethical. It’s hypocritical.

We ask producers and suppliers to uphold rigorous standards for worker welfare, but allow our own house to go unchecked. We talk about safe workplaces and DEI, but ignore when people are intimidated into silence for speaking up. That disconnect undermines everything we say we stand for.

If we truly believe in HRDD, then accountability must start at home.

That means:

• Calling out bullying and toxic behavior, even when it’s uncomfortable.
• Holding companies and consultants accountable for the actions of their representatives.
• Creating safer spaces for dialogue, not fear.

We can’t build sustainable supply chains on a foundation of silence and intimidation.

I’ve spoken to others who’ve been targeted too and I’ve identified over 40 organizations/individuals experiencing this issue.

It’s time we stand up for each other and stop normalizing this behavior. If you see something—say something.

Because we can’t advocate for justice in seafood while allowing abuse to flourish in our own backyard.