A Ghanaian fisherman has finally secured justice after a nine-year battle over allegations of exploitation and mistreatment aboard a Scottish fishing trawler.
Joshua Amissah, 40, told a court in Scotland that he and other Ghanaian crew members endured harsh working conditions while employed on the Sea Lady, a vessel owned and operated by Annan-based TN Trawlers.
Giving evidence at Hamilton Sheriff Court, Amissah recalled confronting skipper Tom Nicholson Jr over his treatment of the crew.
“He told us we were slaves,” Amissah said.
“He said that his father had told him that any black person he worked with, he must treat that person as a slave.”
According to court proceedings, the Ghanaian fishermen worked long hours with little rest, inadequate food and no proper training. Amissah said the crew secretly organised a rota among themselves to get some sleep while at sea.
Another crew member testified that food shortages were so severe they survived by eating fish and octopus caught during fishing operations.
The case took a dramatic turn when Tom Nicholson Jr changed his plea to guilty after several days of evidence.
He admitted failing to provide adequate food, rest and training to five Ghanaian fishermen while operating the vessel in 2017.
Speaking outside court, Amissah said the experience had left a lasting impact on the victims.
“What we experienced nine years ago, that was tough,” he said.
“People don’t understand because they weren’t with us at the fishing grounds.”
He added that the men remained silent for fear of retaliation and harm to their families.
“It pains us. It has cost us a lot. We want the whole world and other fishermen or other skippers to know that this is not the right way to treat the crew,” he said.
The ordeal came to an end after another crew member, Augustus Mensah, suffered a serious head injury during rough weather in the English Channel in December 2017.
The vessel eventually docked in Portsmouth for medical treatment, allowing police to become involved and begin investigations into the crew’s working conditions.
The fishermen were later recognised by the UK Home Office as victims of modern slavery.
Although an initial human trafficking case was dropped in 2022 due to insufficient evidence, the matter was revived following a review request by the victims and was eventually prosecuted under maritime health and safety laws.
Tom Nicholson Jr is expected to return to court next month for sentencing.
The case also led to separate legal action against TN Trawlers owner Thomas Nicholson, who was fined for breaching a human trafficking court order. He is reportedly the first person in Scotland to receive and breach a Trafficking and Exploitation Risk Order.
Campaigners say the case highlights wider concerns about the treatment of migrant workers in the UK fishing industry.
In 2024, a BBC investigation identified 35 workers from Ghana, the Philippines and India who had worked for TN Trawlers and were later recognised as victims of modern slavery by the UK Home Office.
TN Trawlers has denied allegations of modern slavery and human trafficking, maintaining that its workers were treated fairly and properly compensated.
