What happens when one of the world’s most fearless photojournalists turns her lens toward the sea? You get a story that’s as haunting as it is urgent. Hong Kong-born photographer Nicole Tung has been named the laureate of the 15th Carmignac Photojournalism Award for her nine-month investigation into illegal fishing and labor abuse across Southeast Asia.
Born and raised in Hong Kong and now based in Istanbul, the New York University graduate is known for documenting war zones and refugee camps from Syria to Ukraine.
Tung’s latest work dives into a different kind of battlefield beneath the waves, with her reporting spanning Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, where she uncovered a shadowy industry marked by environmental devastation and human rights violations. From debt bondage aboard foreign-owned vessels to the rollback of labor reforms in Thailand, her images reveal the human cost of industrial overfishing.
It’s more about people rather than politics. Tung’s portraits of dock workers, fishers, and families offer a rare glimpse into lives hidden from view. In Palawan, she captured how Chinese maritime dominance has pushed local fishers out of ancestral waters, slashing incomes and forcing many to abandon their trade. In Indonesia, she documented the shark trade, where meat is sold locally while fins and bones are exported to Hong Kong and China for cosmetics and traditional medicine.
Her work also touches on the global seafood supply chain, tracing fish from small coastal canneries to sushi counters in Tokyo. It’s a wake-up call: the choices we make at the dinner table ripple across oceans and communities.
Founded in 2009 by financier and philanthropist Édouard Carmignac, the Carmignac Photojournalism Award was created in response to a crisis in global media and in support of investigative storytelling. Each year, the award funds a long-form photo reportage focused on human rights or geopolitical issues, offering full production support from the Fondation Carmignac. Laureates are selected by an international jury of editors, curators, and regional experts who ensure the chosen project reflects both artistic merit and journalistic urgency.
Past winners have exposed everything from migrant slavery in Libya to gender-based violence in Afghanistan. With exhibitions held at major institutions across Europe, the award has become one of the most respected platforms for socially engaged photojournalism today.
Nicole Tung’s award-winning series debuted at the Visa pour l’Image festival in France and will be exhibited globally. It’s a powerful reminder that storytelling isn’t just about what we see, it’s about what we choose to see.
For more information about the series and related exhibitions, check out the Carmignac Photojournalism Award’s website, and follow the Instagram of Nicole Tung, Carmignac Photojournalism Award, and Visa pour l'Image.
