WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens.  Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA-1) urged the Administration to include fraudulent labeling of crab meat in its efforts to combat fishing and seafood fraud. Some seafood processors are deceptively labeling foreign crab meat as a “product of the United States” by importing foreign crab meat and repacking it in domestic facilities, misleading consumers as to its origin.

“Importing foreign crab meat, simply repacking in the United States, and labeling it made in the USA is dishonest and threatens the livelihood of thousands of Virginia watermen,” Senator Warner said. “The seafood industry is one of Virginia’s oldest and largest industries, with an economic impact of over half a billion dollars a year, and it is critical that we not allow this deceptive tactic continue.”  

“Consumers deserve to know that Chesapeake Bay products are really from the Chesapeake Bay and are not foreign imports skirting seafood fraud laws,” said Senator Kaine. “I look forward to being briefed on actions underway to combat seafood fraud and safeguard the livelihoods of Virginia watermen.”

“Maryland’s seafood industry is critical for jobs on the Eastern Shore and our way of life,” Senator Mikulski said. “When families read the crab meat they’re consuming is the product of the United States, they expect it to be. We must end the practice of dangerous and deceptive labeling of imported crab meat that puts in jeopardy the livelihoods of Maryland’s watermen.”

“Virginia watermen and seafood processors who fish the Chesapeake Bay must often compete against improperly or deceptively labeled foreign crab meat,” Wittman said. “This unfair practice of mislabeling imported crab threatens the sustainability of Virginia’s commercial watermen and seafood industry. The Administration should use all the existing tools in the toolbox to ensure a level playing field for the Chesapeake Bay’s seafood industry.”

A copy of the letter is available here and the full text is copied below.

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.