Editor’s note: The following is a letter to the editor submitted by Joseph Sabbagh, president of Sax Maritime Associates in Los Angeles, in response to a 17 November “Today” report warning Americans about the safety of seafood imports.
After watching the “Today” show piece on seafood imports and reading a transcript of the interview with National Fisheries Institute President John Connolly, I can’t help but question NFI’s level of participation. The burning question I have is why break the No. 1 rule of any successful marketing entity by participating in an obvious attack piece about your concern?
We have all seen this story before and know how it ends. Why does NFI participate in an interview knowing their best responses will be edited out and they will become a punching bag? The FDA would not play the game, but NFI did and wound up looking all the worse for it.
NFI compounded its mistake by failing to deliver the right messages. First was offering “industry speak” that the consumer will not understand. Second was repeating points about its policy as opposed to the fact that there has been no major seafood recalls in the last 10 years. Mr. Connelly mentioned that only once, however, that is a message that must be delivered over and over.
Finally, dancing around the issues regarding U.S. catfish and the “experts” that were the primary reference for the allegations was a big mistake. Just lay it out and detail the species, issues and major players. The truth is on our side. Why not make a strong statement. Everyone knows “Today” will spin the story. From reading the transcript I believe Mr. Connelly could have made more relevant points in a more consumer-friendly manner.
I suggest that NFI stop entering battles it has no hope of winning. NFI should take steps to get out in front of this and other issues as opposed to being reactive. Sustainability, mercury, aquaculture, product integrity and environmental impact are all important issues — yet none of these are mentioned on the home page of NFI’s website, aboutseafood.com. The too-little-too-late response to the “Today” show is three clicks away, in spite of being a hot topic now. A proactive approach is needed to get the many positive aspects about seafood into the media. I hope NFI’s members feel the same way.
Joseph Sabbagh
Sax Maritime Associates
