“Fish-y” banks: Using system dynamics to evaluate policy interventions for reducing labor exploitation in the seafood industry

Fishing is an important economic sector in many countries, and the industry's products constitute a source of protein for billions of people. Overfishing, incessant consumer demand, and poor regulation have left the industry susceptible to labor exploitation. A system dynamics model that describes the interactions of both ecological and economic systems while considering sustainability criteria both for the natural sphere (regeneration capacity of fish populations) and the economic sphere (profits and employment) was developed. The model evaluates interventions that reduce forced labor and labor trafficking, which are constituents of the economic sphere, while measuring legal and illegal labor. This study employs a novel interdisciplinary approach to the systemic planning and policymaking of initiatives that reduce forced labor while still valuing environmental and economic concerns, while accounting for the nonlinear feedback relationships and accumulation processes in the system. Using this model, the study presents empirical evidence and an explanation of how an emphasis on one policy over another impacts key metrics by providing results that are counterintuitive and highlight the need to consider the whole process - for example allocating a large portion of a budget towards awareness campaigns reduces fish stocks and over time forced labor increases. To be effective while minimizing unintended consequences, policies must be combined and implemented dynamically. Our case country in this study is Thailand—a prominent seafood exporter in the global spotlight for labor trafficking. We created a freely available online version of the model entitled “Fish-y Banks”.