Washington, DC (August 10, 2022)–In response to the letter from Senators Feinstein, Merkley, and other colleagues to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) outlining their concerns on seafood traceability, Mallika Talwar, Greenpeace senior ocean campaigner, said: “We welcome the recent steps taken by Senators Feinstein, Merkley, and others to highlight the lack of transparency and traceability in seafood supply chains. For too long, American seafood brands and retailers have thrived on their disregard for the environment and human rights abuses that have kept prices low while allowing them to reap significant profits.
“It is clear that there is a real need for stronger traceability regulations to move the entire industry forward and ensure that the seafood that Americans eat is not tainted with environmental destruction and human rights abuse. If the Biden Administration is serious about addressing illegal fishing and associated forced labor, it must follow through on the Senators’ recommendations to strengthen traceability in seafood supply chains.”
Greenpeace USA’s report, “The High Cost of Cheap Tuna: US Supermarkets, Sustainability, and Human Rights at Sea” finds all 16 retailers surveyed to be failing in ensuring their tuna supply chains are free of both environmental harm and exploitative labor practices such as debt bondage and physical abuse.
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Contact: Tanya Brooks, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, P: 703-342-9226, E: [email protected]
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
