New York spy museum to feature ‘Seafood from Slaves’ investigation

Part of Spyscape’s gallery on surveillance, the “Seafood from Slaves” exhibit explores how a team of AP reporters combined shoe-leather journalism with new technology in their efforts to document labor abuses and trace slave-caught seafood to U.S. supermarkets and pet food suppliers.

Tools that journalists Esther Htusan, Margie Mason, Robin McDowell and Martha Mendoza used during the course of their reporting will be on display, as well as a film explaining how intelligence technology and techniques played a role in the investigation.

“Part of the magic of this project was that it combined cutting-edge reporting tools with old-fashioned, on-the-ground reporting,” said AP Managing Editor Brian Carovillano. “There was GPS tracking and satellite photography, but there were also all-night stakeouts and great source reporting. And of course, the impact it had was astounding. Thousands of slaves were freed because of the journalism of some very dedicated and talented women.”  

The AP investigation freed 2,000 slaves and led to the arrests of a dozen people, the seizure of ships worth millions of dollars and the introduction of legislation in the U.S. Congress to create greater transparency from food suppliers. It earned AP the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2016.

“We want to explain how spy skills are used within other careers, and the AP investigative story is a perfect example,” said Shelby Prichard, Spyscape’s chief of staff. “We are honored to exhibit a Pulitzer Prize certificate in our surveillance gallery and we hope this story will inspire other people to consider how they can put their own spy skills to good use.”

Opening on February 16, Spyscape is a contemporary, interactive museum that aims to help visitors see themselves and the world around them more clearly through the lens of spying.

Spyscape is located at 928 8^th Avenue. Visitors may call 212-549-1941 or visit www.spyscape.com for more information.