Whiskas’ cat food 'sea slavery' links under scrutiny

Greenpeace has launched an online campaign calling for Mars to come clean after allegations emerged that their Whiskas cat food products could be implicated in sea slavery.

In a New York Times Sea Slaves article last year, products from Iams cat food, also owned by Mars, were shown to be made in a Thai Union cannery that was processing fish from boats using trafficked and forced labour.

Greenpeace campaigner, Kate Simcock, said the multinational company had “refused to answer” questions about where the fish used in Whiskas food comes from for months.

“It looks like they are unable to deny that human rights violations are happening in their supply chain,” she said.

Ms Simcock raised concern over the “wider problem of a lack of transparency in these global supply chains”, saying “most people would be shocked to hear this” about the popular brand.

Mars New Zealand media spokesperson, Vicki Hamilton, confirmed Thai Union, a seafood producer, was working with them, and the company had already “gotten rid of some of its suppliers”.

Ms Hamilton confirmed Thai Union had signed a code of conduct that legally bound it to “adhere to certain standards around human rights”.

“From Mars’ point of view our human code of conduct and what’s given to suppliers is really rigorous. They [the suppliers] are not allowed to have people involved in unfair labour of any kind,” she said.

However, when asked if she could guarantee New Zealand Whiskas products were not implicated in sea slavery, Ms Hamilton said “that’s something I can’t comment on”.

One of those concerned by the allegations is Suzanne Bull, who regularly purchases Whiskas cat food for her 15-year-old British Blue cat, Holly.

Her local community of Gisborne is already “campaigning against the bad conditions on fishing boats”, and if Greenpeace’s allegations against Mars were true she would stop buying Whiskas cat food.

“I would try and find some other product because it’s all very well if you don’t know about it, but once you know you can’t condone it,” said Ms Bull.