Chris Williams, fisheries section co-ordinator at the International Transport Workers Federation, said there was a “structural, systemic problem” in migrant worker recruitment in the fishing industry.
He said: “What we need is a solution that enables workers from the Philippines, Ghana, Sri Lanka and India to come into the UK fishing industry with employment rights, minimum wage protections, and their hours of work and rest being recorded.
He said the UK should not allow a “race to the bottom” where workers can be exploited and abused.
Williams added: “We should be paying people fairly and treating them fairly if we’re so desperate to have them to keep this food-producing sector working.”
In 2024, the BBC identified 35 men who worked for TN Trawlers and were later identified by the Home Office as victims of modern slavery.
The Disclosure and File on 4 production featured contributions from former workers from the Philippines, Ghana and India who alleged they had been mistreated by the company.
In October 2024, another group of fishermen from Ghana were awarded £20,000 each in compensation by the UK government.
The crew were rescued in 2020 from the scallop-trawler Olivia Jean, also owned by TN Trawlers.
TN Trawlers denied any allegation of modern slavery or human trafficking and said its workers were well-treated and well-paid.
Additional reporting by Carla Basu, Jax Sinclair, Penny Macmillan and Paul Ward.