Country briefing
Crew welfare and the port records that can reveal what happened offshore.
ITF’s regional study collects crew-death and disappearance records across multiple flags. A port connection does not establish that a death happened there or that every case was homicide.07
The Zhen Fa 7 file connects crew-abuse reporting involving the South American fishing grounds and Montevideo with a U.S. import order issued in May 2025. The administrative measure is not a criminal verdict.4245
Carrier, fuel and port-service records help reconstruct voyages and opportunities for inspection. A commercial relationship alone does not establish knowing assistance in abuse.05
Montevideo is a point for investigating access to help and accountability. Crew nationality, vessel flag and jurisdiction of an incident remain separate fields.
Cases and context · Not an offender count
ITF also reports at least 27 crew disembarkations for medical attention in Peru during 2024. Its records provide a starting point for vessel-specific follow-up, not a diagnosis of trafficking in each instance.
An investigation followed sick crew members through South American waters. In May 2025, U.S. Customs ordered detention of seafood harvested by the vessel on forced-labor grounds.
C4ADS links Wei Fong carriers and Zhoushan Ningtai operations while explicitly noting lawful, authorized carrier activity. It also examines floating medical and logistics support.
The Outlaw Ocean Project’s vessel record associates Wei Yu 18 with Weihai Huanhai Aquatic and reports deaths and forced-labor allegations. The record identifies IMO 8782587, helping distinguish the ship from similarly named vessels.
