There were a couple noteworthy developments this week in the ongoing battle against seafood fraud. SeafoodSource reported yesterday that Washington, D.C.-based environmental group Oceana launched an awareness campaign about how seafood fraud causes harm beyond the cash register. Its report, “Bait and Switch: How Seafood Fraud Hurts Our Oceans, Our Wallets and Our Health,” offers really nothing new but appears to be accurate.
It’s particularly interesting because it just might be the first time an environmental group has gotten involved in economic matters, at least to this level. The two dots may seem unconnected, but they’re not. Harmful fishing practices and underhanded business tactics share one major thing in common: disrespect, either for the oceans or the folks who buy and sell its products (or both). And cheating with products and weights and measures — especially when you get away with it — theoretically leads to more cheating, potentially in other areas like food safety and the trade of endangered or threatened species.
Any effort to stem short weighting, species substitution or country-of-origin mislabeling is worthy of appreciation and support. Yet you can’t help but worry that Oceana’s messaging machine could unintentionally (or intentionally) fuel the fires of distrust in the industry and reduce confidence in and consumption of seafood. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.
Years ago, it would have been much easier to make that assumption, but seafood suppliers and environmental organizations today generally have the same goal — healthy, productive oceans. So the hope is that campaign will continue to be positive news. It should be noted that Will Gergits, managing member of Therion International in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., participated in the group’s press conference on Wednesday. Gergits’ DNA-identifying technology has proven invaluable to many suppliers seeking to ensure they’re getting what they’re buying.
Which brings us to the second development: improvements in the South Korea snow crab supply. Historically, a large percentage of the snow crab haul, whether it’s harvested from Korean, Russian or Alaskan waters, is shipped to the ideally located city of Pusan for processing and distribution. From there the product goes to Japan, the United States, Europe and a growing number of affluent markets in Asia. But several months ago, U.S. suppliers began noticing inconsistencies in their snow crab purchases.
It got to the point where John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute in McLean, Va., sent a straightforward letter to suppliers and manufacturers of snow crab in Korea that reaffirmed the United States’ official net weight specifications for seafood products. SeaFood Business acquired a copy of that letter, which was sent in March, according to NFI spokesperson Gavin Gibbons.
“Snow crab packed at less than 100 percent of the net weight listed on the package is illegal in the U.S.,” Connelly wrote. “If you are asked to pack product at less than 100 percent net weight, you are being asked to violate U.S. regulations and this specification (AOAC Method 967.13). We will alert [the U.S. Food and Drug Administration] if we become aware of product not in compliance with this net weight specification.”
Gibbons said the NFI-created Better Seafood Bureau (BSB) normally fields complaints from members before addressing them privately, but in this instance BSB proactively addressed what was looking more and more like “intrinsic behavior” within a small community of suppliers. “The importers here are saying we have a problem, and we know all the players,” said Gibbons.
Bill Dresser, president of Seattle-based Sea Port Products, is one such importer playing by rules. His Kirkland, Wash.-based company imports a number of seafood products, including Korean snow crab. Over time, Dresser said a “two-tiered” market had developed, consisting of packers that conform to 100 percent net weight regulations and those that don’t. The “old standard,” as he calls short-weighted product, was still a part of the market, creating an uneven playing field.
Sea Port and other importers started addressing the issue with South Korean crab packers about nine months ago, and their efforts are paying off.
“Most importers realize they have to go a bit above and beyond now,” said Dresser, adding that the community of Korean snow crab exporters and importers was small enough that corrective measures could be taken rather quickly. “We went right to the source to clarify and educate, to let [exporters] know the problems that could materialize. We’re definitely moving the needle. You can bite a lot or take little bites. This is a strategy of little bites.”
While a universal packing standard is not a reality for products being moved to key markets around the world, suppliers need to understand the specifications of the market they’re shipping to and meet them. Failing to do so shines a negative light on everyone. Oceana is right in calling on the federal government to prioritize fraud prevention. But industry-led efforts such as this may be more effective in the long run.
