Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Seafood Fraud

Letter

Dear Mr. President,

Thank you for your announcement on June 17, 2014 calling for the establishment of a Comprehensive Framework to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud. We agree that it is in the national interest of the United States to combat seafood fraud and applaud your administration's efforts to focus on these important issues.

As the Departments listed in your memorandum undertake their work on this effort, we'd like to draw your attention to the issue of fraudulent labeling of Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean blue crab meat. It has come to our attention that some processors are importing foreign crab meat, repackaging it at a domestic processing facility, and then labeling it as a product of the United States. As a result, domestically harvested crabmeat is competing against less expensive foreign crabmeat fraudulently labeled as a "product of the United States." Deceptive labeling misleads consumers and threatens the livelihood of the watermen in our states.

Since many different federal agencies play a role in the oversight of imports, processing, and sale of crabmeat, we appreciate the Comprehensive Framework taking a holistic view of this pressing issue. In addition to incorporating fraudulent labeling into the Framework, we respectfully request a briefing with relevant federal agencies to discuss current enforcement efforts relating to foreign imports, accurate country of origin labeling, and consumer fraud protection.

Again, thank you for your consideration.