In recent news, Chinese fishing vessels were found to have utilized North Korean crews in the Indian Ocean from 2019 to 2024, breaching UN sanctions. These workers were kept at sea for extended periods, enduring mistreatment and difficult circumstances as they were moved between ships to evade returning to shore.
This situation is significant because it circumvents trade limitations imposed by the US and EU, with North Korea retaining 90% of the workers' pay to support its nuclear initiatives. This established instance of long-distance vessel labor impacts the availability of seafood supplies to key markets such as the EU, UK, and Japan.