Sea Harvest
Harm on record. Has recent confirmed harm to workers that it hasn't put right.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 10 sources
South African frozen hake brand that catches and processes its own fish.
In 2024, Sea Harvest's trawler Lepanto sank, killing eleven crew; a preliminary inquiry found breaches of its stability instructions.
Also worth knowing
Sea Harvest has only partly put this right.
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 Harm on record
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and clear breaches of labour conditions. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- Holds the grade back: It's Harm on record because of a serious confirmed problem from the last 5 years that it has only partly put right: deadly safety failure, last recorded in 2024.
Good requirements 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: deadly safety failure, last recorded in 2024
- 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 or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Sea Harvest's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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 |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| 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.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Traces most of its fish and seafood to named fishing boats or farms
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently.
Research notes Sea Harvest catches Cape hake with its own trawlers, which land straight into its own plants at Saldanha Bay and Mossel Bay, and its freezer vessels fillet and freeze fish at sea; its hake is MSC certified. The Australian range also includes octopus and smoked fish whose processing site is not stated. The group's separate Australian business runs Shark Bay and Exmouth prawn trawlers under other range names. It publishes no crew audit or vessel standard. Shore workers struck in 2024 over pay, saying a general worker earned R34 an hour.
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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Eleven crew died when Sea Harvest's trawler Lepanto sank off Cape Town in May 2024; a preliminary SAMSA report found fish loading and fuel transfer broke the vessel's stability instructions and freeing ports may have been blocked, but could not find a single cause (Maritime Review, 2024). Source · archived copy | PartlySea Harvest gave survivors medical checks and counselling, visited the families of the missing men and worked with SAMSA; no compensation has been reported. |
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.
- Cosatu alleged in 2024 that the Lepanto was not in good condition when it sailed and that Sea Harvest called recovering the bodies too expensive (Cape Argus, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 10
Show all 10 sources
- Sea Harvest trawler sinks near Cape Town, 11 crew presumed dead (SeafoodSource, 2024) · search the archive · Lepanto sank 17 May 2024, 11 crew presumed drowned; company gave counselling, visited families and worked with SAMSA
- Sea Harvest Hake Skin-On Fillets (Galipo Foods) · search the archive · Sea Harvest hake sold by an Australian food distributor through online ordering
- Lepanto report will lead to further investigations (Maritime Review, 2024) · archived copy · Preliminary report: breaches of special stability instructions on fish load and fuel transfer, freeing ports possibly seized; Marine Court of Enquiry planned
- Cosatu to take more action over Sea Harvest fatal tragedy (Cape Argus, 2024) · search the archive · Cosatu alleges the vessel was in poor condition and the company said body recovery was too expensive
- Sea Harvest workers go on strike (Elitsha, 2024) · search the archive · Shore workers struck over an 8% pay demand; general worker earns R34 an hour
- Sea Harvest Group 2024 Integrated Report (summary) · search the archive · Group report records loss of 11 employees on the Lepanto and continued MSC certification
Published by Sea Harvest or its owner
- Exports (Sea Harvest) · search the archive · Own plants at Saldanha Bay and Mossel Bay where trawlers unload directly; freezer vessels freeze at sea; Cape hake carries MSC label; Australia a main market
- A proud member of the Sea Harvest Group (Sea Harvest) · search the archive · All hake products from a certified sustainable source; Saldanha fresh fish and value-added factories
- South African Sea Harvest Range (Sea Harvest Australia) · search the archive · Cape Haddie and High Seas fillets processed and frozen at sea on Sea Harvest's three factory freezer vessels; range includes hake, octopus and smoked cod
- Sea Harvest Australia · search the archive · Australian group company with Shark Bay and Exmouth prawn ranges and a South African Sea Harvest range
Company details
- Headquarters
- South Africa
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sea Harvest ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sea-harvest, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Harm on record 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 Sea Harvest.