The Invisible Squid takes us on a journey into the world of the European seafood import and distribution industry. It reveals that seafood products linked to documented cases of human rights abuses, illegal fishing and forced labour are increasingly ending up on consumers' plates across Europe, particularly in Italy and Spain, as well as in the United States.
Our investigative team met with Spanish and Chinese producers, Chinese exporters, and intermediaries, wholesalers, restaurateurs and researchers from Europe and the US who analysed squid traded in the countries under study. We also conducted an in-depth data analysis to trace the journey of squid products from the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific oceans to restaurants in Italy's coastal cities, shops selling traditional sandwiches near Madrid's Plaza Mayor and supermarkets in California.
We found a supply chain characterised by a lack of transparency, weak regulation and an increasingly pervasive focus on achieving the 'best price'. This commercial environment simultaneously fuels demand for products whose supply chains conceal some of the most serious abuses, of which consumers remain largely unaware.
Key Findings
- China is the world's leading exporter of squid and squid products. Despite numerous cases of unregulated fishing, regulatory violations and labour rights abuses being documented by journalists and non-governmental organisations in recent years, Chinese squid continues to be exported in growing quantities to the European Union, particularly Spain and Italy, and to the United States.
- Chinese squid reaches consumers' tables in Europe with little transparency or consumer awareness. Ninety-eight percent of the squid consumed in Italy and Spain is frozen, yet it is often sold thawed by fishmongers alongside fresh seafood or served in restaurants without any indication of its origin.
- China is expanding its share of Western markets by offering prices approximately 40% lower than those of European producers. This is partly due to the labour conditions on board fishing vessels and in processing facilities.
- Several European companies have also partnered with Chinese producers to process squid in factories in China, despite documented evidence of forced labour programmes involving Uyghur workers and, in some cases, North Korean labourers.
- The United States has curbed imports through tariffs on seafood products imported from China. By contrast, the European Union has not imposed comparable restrictions on seafood imports from China. However, the EU Forced Labour Regulation is due to come into force in 2027 and could have significant implications for this sector.
Photo by Francesco De Augustinis
