Tom Nicholson Jr. has been sentenced for his role in what has been described as the "Dickensian" mistreatment of foreign fishermen. The sentence is the latest development in a multi-year investigation into alleged modern slavery practices by TN Trawlers, a company with a fleet based in Annan.
Nicholson Jr. pleaded guilty to failing to provide adequate food, rest, or training to five workers from Ghana in 2017. This admission comes after a three-year investigation by Disclosure and File on 4, which featured testimony from former TN Trawlers workers from Ghana, India, and the Philippines who alleged mistreatment aboard vessels. The BBC identified 35 foreign men who worked for TN Trawlers and were later recognized by the UK Home Office as victims of modern slavery.
In a separate but related case in October 2024, another group of fishermen from Ghana were awarded £20,000 each in compensation by the UK government. These crew members were rescued in 2020 from the scallop-trawler Olivia Jean, also owned by TN Trawlers.
Earlier, in June, Thomas Nicholson, the father of Tom Nicholson Jr. and owner of TN Trawlers, was fined £2,700 for breaching a Trafficking and Exploitation Risk Order (Tero). This marked the first conviction of its kind in Scottish legal history. The Tero imposed restrictions on Nicholson's business activities while he was under a Home Office-led inquiry into human trafficking.
TN Trawlers has previously denied all allegations of modern slavery or human trafficking, asserting that its workers were well-treated and adequately compensated.