U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury

STATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representaive Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), sent a letter requesting documents related to a whistleblower’s account of human rights abuses at a shrimp processing facility operated by one of India’s largest shrimp exporters, Choice Canning.

The whistleblower’s account was recently reported as part of the Outlaw Ocean Project’s extensive investigation into the use of forced labor and other human rights abuses across the global fishing industry.

In their letter, the lawmakers write, in part:

“We are disturbed by the widespread presence of forced labor and human rights violations in the seafood supply chain. As the single largest importer of seafood in the world, the U.S. holds tremendous market influence over the operations of global fisheries. The actions of U.S.-based importers and seafood companies disproportionately affect the health and safety of all seafood products and the likelihood that seafood is not produced with forced labor or through illegal, unregulated, or unreported fishing practices.”

The whistleblower’s account indicates potential violations of several laws by Choice Canning, including Section 307 of the Tarriff Act of 1930, the Lacey Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The lawmakers’ letter requests the documentation supporting these allegations.

The full text of the letter can be read here.