Why were people from the Gilbert Islands recruited to work on plantations in the 19th century?

Beginning in the mid-19th century, Gilbert Islanders were recruited to work on plantations throughout the region to meet the high demand for labor in the growing agricultural industries of the South Pacific, such as cotton and sugar production.123

European settlers establishing large-scale plantations in places like Fiji and Samoa required significant quantities of labor to cultivate their crops. This demand led to the practice of blackbirding, a system in which islanders were recruited—often through deception or force—to serve as a cheap labor base. These laborers, known as Kanakas, were frequently subjected to abuse and reduced to near-slave status.314

It is a fundamental ethical principle that the exploitation of human beings for labor, particularly through kidnapping and coercion, is a grave violation of human rights and dignity. The recruitment of Gilbert Islanders and other Pacific peoples was driven by the economic interests of plantation owners who prioritized profit over the welfare and autonomy of the islanders.145