The Outlaw Ocean

They say you should never meet your heroes. Daemon Fairless disagrees. He takes us behind-the-scenes on The Outlaw Ocean, S2, from his intimate vantage point as its story editor. Fairless begins by asking host Ian Urbina why he takes the kinds of risks he takes.This is a frank, illuminating discussion with Urbina, who quit his New York Times job to do some of the hardest, most difficult and often dangerous reporting in the world. He’s since become the de facto beat reporter for the world’s oceans — and if you’ve listened to the series you know his investigations reveal the shocking prevalence of forced labour, mind-boggling overfishing, and the hard truth is that it’s all connected to the cheap seafood we love.If you’re also wondering what it’s really like to do these investigations, and what Urbina hopes his reporting will achieve, this is the conversation for you.

Spread across the Earth’s oceans, the Chinese distant-water fishing fleet is the single largest armada in human history. This three-part series is an unprecedented investigation into their secretive fishing practices. The fleet is so gargantuan that even the Chinese government can’t account for all its vessels. We do know it has hauled in more than 35 billion dollars worth of catch per year and has sold it across the globe — and yet, almost nothing was known about its practices. That is, until The Outlaw Ocean team started asking questions.Episode highlights:North Korean labour is forced labour by definition — nobody has a choice. Officially, China is in line with the rest of the UN Security Council in sanctioning North Korea and its regime-funding labour. But, unofficially, since 2017, China has quietly but consistently violated those sanctions. This is an open secret China has successfully kept hidden from the West. Until now.Despite the prohibition against North Korean labour, the US state department estimates that there are over 100,000 North Korean workers currently in China. We set out to humanize these numbers, compare them to Chinese data, and connect some dots. But first we reckon with the fact that local people helping us with this reporting are risking everything from espionage charges to execution. But even despite the extreme risks, two dozen workers agreed to talk to us, and be quoted by an interpreter. Their rare testimonies tell of rampant sexual assault, violence, constant monitoring and zero access to the outside world. Finally, we manage to connect the dots from these testimonies to seafood being shipped to American importers that supply major retailers like Walmart, McDonald’s and Sysco - the largest food distributor on the planet. Host Ian Urbina reflects on the invisible dots of plausible deniability, which are built into the whole system. These are the dots that connect Indonesian slave labour on a ship to Uyghur labour in a factory to a grocery store down the block from your house.

Discover the hidden atrocities within the global seafood industry tied to China's immense fishing fleet. Uncover the shocking use of forced Uyghur labor in seafood processing plants, revealing a grim link between exploitation and international supply chains. Learn how the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act confronts these abuses, while challenges in tracing labor practices persist. Through personal stories, hear the emotional struggles of workers yearning for home amid a backdrop of cultural conflict and economic manipulation.

Discover the staggering scale of China's distant-water fishing fleet, the largest armada in history, and the hidden horrors within. Hear the harrowing story of Indonesian deckhand Daniel Aritonang, who faced brutal conditions at sea. Learn about the opaque recruitment practices that exploit vulnerable workers and leave them trapped on vessels. Dive into the dark side of squid fishing, where forced labor and human rights abuses are rampant, and life onboard is marked by danger and neglect. This investigation sheds light on the shocking reality behind global seafood supply chains.

Josh Farinella, a seafood industry whistleblower, reveals his shocking experiences managing a shrimp-processing plant in India. He exposes the grim realities of labor abuses, highlighting trapped workers living in squalor and facing dangerous conditions. Josh details inadequate wages, deceitful audits, and the unsettling discovery of antibiotic-tainted shrimp being shipped without proper testing. His compelling journey catalyzed by moral conviction leads to vital insights into the dark side of the global seafood supply chain.

Max Hardberger, a maritime repossession specialist often compared to a modern-day pirate, shares thrilling tales of recovering seized vessels from hostile ports. Joined by maritime lawyer Michael Bono, they discuss the complexities of 'white-collar piracy' and the unconventional tactics used to reclaim ships. From high-stakes operations in Venezuela to navigating the murky waters of Greek law, Max's exploits reveal a world rife with ethical dilemmas and the fine line between rescue and theft at sea.

Pierre Katar, Joe Sexton, and Maya Doles, members of Ian Urbina's reporting team, share harrowing tales of their detention in Libya while investigating migrant abuse. They recount a sudden armed ambush, their experiences in a brutal secret prison, and the psychological trauma they faced. Forced to create a proof-of-life video, they cleverly signal distress despite their circumstances. The conversation highlights the horrific realities faced by migrants and critiques the EU's role in outsourcing border control, reflecting on privilege in the face of systemic injustice.

The dark realities of the Libyan coast reveal a harrowing journey for migrants aiming for Europe. The Libyan Coast Guard, under EU pressure, captures and abuses those who dare to cross. Al-Mabani prison, infamous for brutality, exposes the horrifying conditions faced by detainees. Personal stories, like that of Aliou Candé, highlight the tragic human cost of migration policies. With allegations of exploitation and forced labor rampant, the team's investigation faces danger as they challenge a violent regime. A gripping narrative unfolds, revealing the stark consequences of geopolitical maneuvers.

The Libyan Coast Guard is doing the European Union’s dirty work, capturing migrants as they attempt to cross the Mediterranean into Europe and throwing them in secretive prisons. There, they are extorted, abused and sometimes killed. An investigation into the death of Aliou Candé, a young farmer and father from Gineau-Bisseau, puts the Outlaw Ocean team in the cross-hairs of Libya’s violent and repressive regime. In this stunning three-part series, we take you inside the walls of one of the most dangerous prisons, in a lawless regime where the world’s forgotten migrants languish.Ep. 1 highlights:On our mission to chronicle the anarchy of the world’s oceans, we knew we had to cover the Mediterranean crisis. The EU's shadow immigration system is a harbinger of things to come, as climate change and (often newly illegal) migration create the perfect conditions for a humanitarian crisis.The face of that crisis often looks like Aliou Candé, a 28-year-old farmer and a father of three children who hoped to lift his family out of poverty.To hear all episodes of Season 2 right now — early and ad-free — subscribe here.

In season two of The Outlaw Ocean, host Ian Urbina sheds light on the secretive Libyan prisons swallowing up sea-faring migrants; flagrant human rights abuses in China’s massive off-shore fleet; the horrors of a shrimp processing plant in India; and the wild story of a modern-day James Bond — if he were a repo man. New episodes weekly on Wednesdays, starting on June 4, 2025.