Ecuadorian activist María Chóez, a vocal advocate for the families of missing tuna fishers, has been murdered.According to witnesses cited by NGO Human Rights at Sea, the 48-year-old was shot in the
Ecuadorian activist María Chóez, a vocal advocate for the families of missing tuna fishers, has been murdered.
According to witnesses cited by NGO Human Rights at Sea, the 48-year-old was shot in the head by occupants of a vehicle on September 25 in Manta, Ecuador.
She was reported as being a family member of one of the 21 fishermen from the Patricia Lynn tuna vessel that went missing on December 22, 2024. She had been a vocal advocate about the case.
María's assassination underscores the increasing impunity faced by those people who legitimately challenge abuses, including in the maritime environment, says Human Rights at Sea.
According to Global Witness, at least 146 land and environmental defenders were murdered or disappeared in 2024.
Human Rights at Sea cites maritime-related abuses including:
DFW Indonesia and the National Fishers Center have documented hundreds of cases of forced labor, trafficking, and abuse aboard fishing vessels. One case involved a crew member found decapitated after attempting to escape exploitative conditions in the Aru Sea.
Environmental Justice Foundation investigations into distant-water fishing fleets have revealed slavery, debt bondage, and murder. A Chinese fleet in the Southwest Indian Ocean included North Korean crew that
Content Original Link:
" target="_blank">
