Two Greenpeace protesters have chained themselves to a truck outside a factory in Whanganui which makes Whiskas brand cat food over claims the company uses tuna linked to slavery.
Mars, the parent company which owns Whiskas, confirmed it sources tuna from seafood company Thai Union which has also been connected to destructive fishing methods.
The protesters have parked a Greenpeace truck outside the entrance to the factory which was branded with the Thai Union logo.
The protest follows a New York Times story in October about forced labour used by the company.
"Mars have known about human rights abuse in their seafood supply chain for at least ten months," says Greenpeace New Zealand campaigner, Kate Simcock.
"Given this, it's shocking that Mars customers could still be buying Whiskas pouches containing seafood that may have been caught by slave labour using destructive fishing methods."
She says the company needs to be open with what it plans to do about its connection to Thai Union.
The group has been campaigning against Thai Union since the story broke and say they are working to shut the company down "from ocean to plate".
Ms Simcock believes cat owners will find it "abhorrent" their pets could be eating food connected to human rights abuses and overfishing.
Newshub.