Birds Eye Australia
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 8 sources
Frozen fish fingers, fillets and prawns brand owned by Simplot Australia.
Until Birds Eye Australia traces its fish and seafood to the boat or farm and has the conditions of the people who catch or farm it checked independently, it can't show that they are free and fairly paid.
Other frozen fish and seafood brands
Nothing we've rated in frozen fish and seafood is better than Lacks transparency yet.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on fish and seafood that it can't trace to the boat or farm. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace it and check the conditions of the people who catch or farm it.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2023) was a link through a supplier, which the company has acted on.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
- Checks its own supply chain. Birds Eye Australia looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as Thailand and China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade. An unconfirmed report of forced labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on fish and seafood it can't trace to the boat or farm
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Simplot Australia's figures name New Zealand, China, Thailand, Poland and Taiwan. Product labels show Australia and Vietnam. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| New Zealand | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| Poland | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- Modern slavery statement
- Relies on fish and seafood from fishing boats and farms, where crews and farm workers, often migrants recruited into debt, have been held for months or years, beaten and denied pay, out of reach of factory audits. It hasn't shown any steps to trace its fish and seafood to the boat or farm or have the conditions of the people who catch or farm it checked, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes Birds Eye hoki fish fingers and oven-bake fillets are packed in Australia from New Zealand hoki (Simplot's frozen seafood plant is at Kelso, NSW), while its Steamfresh basa is made in Vietnam. Simplot names China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Poland, Thailand, New Zealand, Argentina and Namibia for frozen seafood processing without saying which brand each serves. Hoki lines are MSC certified and basa and prawns ASC certified, but no share of the range is given, and no vessel, plant or farm list is published. Simplot had 122 supplier social audits in 2024/25; crews on the boats are not independently checked.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Simplot Australia's 2024/25 modern slavery statement, which names its Kelso frozen seafood plant and seafood processing in China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Poland, Thailand and New Zealand. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Link through a supplierSimplot Australia's 2022/23 modern slavery statement reported a substantiated finding that workers at a Thai seafood processing site supplying the group were charged recruitment fees when hired; the brand affected was not named. Source · archived copyFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | YesThe site agreed to stop charging fees and Simplot helped fund repayment of the fees to affected workers, completed in 2023/24. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- The Outlaw Ocean Project (2023) named Simplot Australia as consignee of squid from a Chinese processor tied to vessels accused of illegal fishing, and Sedex flagged possible Xinjiang forced labour at a supplier; Simplot says it never bought from them. The brand involved was not named. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 8
Show all 8 sources
- Outlaw Ocean Project - Simplot Australia correspondence · search the archive · Simplot named as consignee of a 2022 squid shipment from Rongcheng Haibo; Simplot says it never purchased from it; Sedex flag on a contingency supplier
- Birds Eye Fish Fingers Original Crumb Hoki - Woolworths · search the archive · Sold at Woolworths; packed in Australia from at least 40% Australian ingredients; hoki; MSC certified
- Birds Eye Oven Bake NZ Hoki Battered Fish Fillets 425g - Woolworths · search the archive · Packed in Australia; New Zealand hoki fillets; MSC certified
- Birds Eye Steamfresh Fish Fillets Soy & Ginger 380g - Woolworths · search the archive · Made in Vietnam; basa fillets; ASC certified
- Three Awards, One Big Commitment to Sustainable Seafood (Simplot Australia, 2026) · search the archive · Birds Eye Steamfresh Prawns won the ASC Best Responsible Seafood Product award in 2026
Published by Birds Eye Australia or its owner
- Simplot Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2024/25 · search the archive · Frozen seafood processing in Argentina, Namibia, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Poland, Thailand, New Zealand; Kelso NSW frozen seafood plant; 122 supplier social audits
- Simplot Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2023/24 · search the archive · Recruitment fee remediation to workers at Thai seafood site finalised with Simplot support; Kelso is its frozen seafood plant
- Simplot Australia Modern Slavery Statement 2022/23 · archived copy · Investigation found recruitment fees charged to workers at a Thai seafood supplier site; remediation plan part-funded by Simplot
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Birds Eye Australia ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/birds-eye-australia, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Birds Eye Australia.