More than once I have bemoaned the fact that one media outlet or another did a story on seafood and did not reach out to use NFI as a resource. I maintain it’s rather difficult to write a story about the seafood industry and not contact the leading voice for that industry…or at least it’s rather difficult to write a fair and accurate story without doing so.
This time the reporter in question did reach out to NFI but we were not featured in her final product.
Why?
When Lyndsey Layton of The Washington Post began her research for the article "FDA pressured to combat rising 'food fraud'", she talked to the Better Seafood Board (BSB) about the industry’s extensive work to fill the regulatory vacuum left by federal authorities and encourage the States to get involved. And wouldn’t you know it the States did get involved. In fact, their efforts were the impetus for myriad articles in the last two days about combating fish fraud. Those articles, like the ones in the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and even the Puget Sound Business Journal, noted that “The investigation was prompted by the National Fisheries Institute, a seafood industry group, over concerns of unfair competition by companies using the illegal labeling method.” But The Washington Post left that little nugget out.
Why?
Here we have an example of the seafood industry not just doing the right thing but spearheading the right thing and it’s left out of the story. I can’t speak for the cheese, wine, honey or olive oil folks but I can say this - responsible members of the seafood community have stepped up to the plate with the Better Seafood Board and they deserve recognition for it…and yes, in The Washington Post, no less.
All SeafoodSource blogs >
March 30, 2010
