Sole Mare
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 8 sources
Australian canned tuna brand of Conga Foods, packed in Thailand.
There's no proof Sole Mare pays more than the legal minimum, which in Thailand is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- 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.
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 rights91% 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 or links
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Conga Foods' countries across all its brands; Sole Mare doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 78% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | 3% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | 1% | 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
- 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 Sole Mare is the tuna brand of Australian importer Conga Foods, whose canned seafood comes from unnamed Thai suppliers that are SEDEX members and get annual visits. Conga says each can is traced internally to the vessel, fishing zone and catch period, bans transhipment at sea and plans to map deeper tiers and explore observer programmes on boats, but publishes no cannery or vessel list, crew checks or certification. It uses yellowfin; Greenpeace ranked it 10th, 'very poor', in 2011 (environmental). Grounds: Western and Central Pacific (FAO 71 and 77).
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Corval Group's FY2023 modern slavery statement covers Conga Foods and rates its canned seafood from Thailand as high risk. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Conga Foods answered the Resource Centre's 2018/19 and 2020/21 canned tuna surveys for Sole Mare. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | The US Department of Labor's 2024 List of Goods names fish and shrimp from Thailand as produced with forced labour. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 8
Show all 8 sources
- Conga Foods (Shop Ethical!) · search the archive · Sole Mare canned tuna is a Conga Foods brand; Conga is owned by Joval Group
- Conga Foods: Canned tuna brands human rights survey 2020/21 (BHRRC) · search the archive · Sole Mare tuna from supply partners fishing FAO 71 and 77; can traced to vessel; suppliers must be SEDEX members; no crew-level checks
- Conga Foods tuna 2018-19 response (BHRRC) · search the archive · Sole Mare traces cans to individual vessel; supply partners third-party audited; no cannery named
- 2024 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor (US Department of Labor) · search the archive · Fish and shrimp from Thailand listed as produced with forced labour
- Australia's canned-tuna rankings updated (SeafoodSource, 2011) · search the archive · Sole Mare ranked 10th, 'very poor', in Greenpeace Australia's 2011 canned tuna ranking
- Sole Mare Anchovy Fillets in Olive Oil (Woolworths Australia) · search the archive · Sole Mare products sold at Woolworths in Australia
Published by Sole Mare or its owner
- Corval Group Modern Slavery Statement 2023 · search the archive · Conga Foods' canned seafood from Thailand is high risk; all from SEDEX members; cans traced to vessel, zone and catch period; annual supplier visits
- Corval Group Modern Slavery Statement FY2022 · search the archive · Canned seafood from Thai suppliers; transhipment banned; plans to map Thai supply chain and explore NGO or observer programmes on vessels
Company details
- Owned by
- Conga Foods (Corval Group)
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sole Mare ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sole-mare, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other canned and pouched fish brands
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Sole Mare.