CSR & LABOR

Safe, decent, and equitable work are the foundational building blocks for any successful business. This includes, but is not limited to fair wages, employment security, health and safety, non-discrimination, equal opportunity, and respect for workers’ rights.

Workers in the seafood industry deal with long hours, dangerous work environments, and limited access to medical facilities. Many maritime safety standards exclude fishing vessels, which can leave up to 15 million workers onboard susceptible to unfavorable working conditions or worse, forced labor while trapped at sea. In addition, workers can face discrimination with little to no consequence for those responsible.

The Norwegian Transparency Act sets the context for King Oscar. Effective from July 2022, this Act requires companies to make sure human rights and decent working conditions are respected in their operations and supply chains. Crucially, the Act requires companies to undertake due diligence across their supply chains and to respond to information requests as to how they address human rights and decent working conditions. King Oscar commits to undertake its due diligence annually and report publicly on progress.

King Oscar commits to undertake its due diligence annually and report publicly on progress. Within SeaChange® 2030, we have set the target to ensure that 100% of the vessels and farms we source from meet current industry best practices in welfare and working conditions. Thai Union’s Vessel Code of Conduct sets out the conditions we expect for fishers on board the vessels that we source from and we work regularly with our suppliers to audit fishing vessels against the code.

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We also operate a strict Business Ethics and Labor Code of Conduct which we ask all suppliers to adhere to. This code covers issues including business being conducted lawfully and with integrity, workers rights – including equality and dignity, no forced or compulsory labor, all workers are of an appropriate age, all workers are paid fair wages, working hours are reasonable, and workers’ health and safety are protected. King Oscar also applies Thai Union’s Non Reprisal Policy for the protection of whistleblowers and offers the Group’s own compliance reporting and whistleblowing platform “Speak Out” for all staff and workers worldwide to report any concerns related to violations outlined in Company policies, the Code of Conduct, or any fraud, abuse or other misconduct in the workplace. The platform is always available online and through toll-free numbers reachable from 15 countries, with complete anonymity.

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Within Thai Union’s factories we have established an ambitious Best-in-Class Manufacturing program to reduce our energy, water and waste and also ensure that they are safe places to work. In 2022, Thai Union reduced its Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) to 0.32 lost time injuries per 200,000 hours worked – a reduction of 18% on 2021.

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Corporate Citizenship

The seafood industry touches the lives of millions of vulnerable people. More than 110 million people get their livelihoods from small fisheries. Companies worldwide, including King Oscar, are adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices and implementing programs to address issues impacting workers and their surrounding communities. We firmly believe that employees who are well supported are more engaged and satisfied, leading to higher levels of motivation and productivity. Thai Union globally has committed €6.5m to its Corporate Citizenship program from 2023 to 2030. This will be used to support and give back to the communities in which we operate through resources focused on health and wellbeing, education, and disaster relief.

In Gniewino, Poland, where King Oscar operates a factory, we have a long-standing parternship with two local schools where we have worked on projects to help students understand how to eat healthily and increase recycling levels.

In Bergen, Norway, where our head office is located, King Oscar is supporting the cleaning up of the North Sea, sponsoring waste containers with nets in ports in strategic locations along Norway’s long coast. For further information on this initiative please
visit: https://miljohavn.no

In 2023, employees from King Oscar joined Thai Union’s clean-up efforts to prevent ocean-bound plastic from entering our waterways and oceans. Teams across Thailand, Africa and Europe collected over 11 tonnes of trash and plastics from coastlines and communities in which the Group operates.

Health & Nutrition

Worldwide obesity and the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have nearly tripled since 1975, highlighting the pressing need for an increase in global demand for more nutritious food options. To enhance the overall health of populations, we must offer more nutrient rich foods, and reduce unhealthy ingredients such as excessive sugars, salts and fats. Consequently, the seafood industry bears the responsibility of ensuring that the food it distributes retains its natural and essential nutrients while remaining free from any detrimental substances. Mackerel, sardines and anchovies are rich in EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids ¹. Omega- 3 fatty acids are essential fats that we need to get from our diet since the human body cannot make them from scratch, like other types of fats we need ². Among other things, as part of a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, DHA (omega-3 fatty acid) contributes to maintenance of normal brain function and, together with EPA (omega-3 fatty acid), to the normal function of the heart ³.

  1. https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2022/03/power-yourbody-foods-rich-omega-3-fatty-acids 8
  2. https://t.ly/9LkqD 9
  3.  Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012