New reports expose modern slavery in supply chains
The Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania in collaboration with Greenpeace have released two new reports shining the light on modern slavery hidden within global supply chains.
March 9, 2026
On 3 March 2026, the Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania – represented by their Senior Social Justice Advocate, Dr Mark Zirnsak – together with Indonesian and Australian representatives from Greenpeace launched two very important reports at Parliament House in Canberra.
The first report, Forced to the Bottom: Squeezing Indonesian Fishers and Oceans for Dirty Tuna Profits, written by Greenpeace in collaboration with Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, is an extensive piece of research, detailing the extreme exploitation and forced labour imposed upon Indonesian fishers working in the tuna fishing industry. The Indonesian tuna fishing fleet is a major supplier of tuna to Australia- so this is essential reading for all Australians, especially those who enjoy eating this product.
The second report, Motivating Ethical Sourcing: Ensuring goods imported into Australia are free from forced labour, authored by Dr Zirnsak, addresses the problem of the use of modern slavery in the production of some everyday items that are imported into Australia. The report focusses on clothing from Mauritius, palm oil from Malaysia and coffee from Brazil. This report sets out some strong recommendations for reform at the Australian end, including stronger powers for the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner and the Australian Border Force.
The launch of the reports was attended by a small number of Labor and Liberal MPs or their staff representatives and senior representatives from the Office of the Australian Anti-Slavery Commissioner, the Attorney General’s Department and the International Transport Federation. Attendees were honoured to be addressed by Suryadi, a former Indonesian fisher who spoke of his perilous experiences at sea, his journey to fight for justice and his call for action by the Australian people to prevent future exploitation in the industry.
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