BSB sees crackdown as adding teeth to enforcement efforts

January 29, 2010 Washington, DC – The announcement of a 28-count indictment on charges of seafood mislabeling and species substitution is another recent example of how the government is putting some long-awaited teeth in efforts to stamp out fish fraud, according to the Better Seafood Board (BSB.)

“Whether it’s a guilty plea in New Jersey Federal Court last week or an indictment in Alabama this week, these efforts prove the government takes fish fraud seriously. It’s time for those in the seafood community who haven’t made economic integrity a priority to take a good look at their sourcing practices, before someone else does it for them,” said BSB Secretary Lisa Weddig.

The latest indictment alleges three people supplied falsely labeled fish to customers in Alabama and the Florida panhandle and in some cases substituted cheaper product for more expensive seafood.

“We’d like to see the FDA taking the lead in more short weight and species substitution cases but we’re happy to see the Justice Department doing its part too. There is simply no room for this in the industry,” said Weddig.

The accused face multiple counts of mislabeling and smuggling which each carrying a maximum penalty of between three and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Better Seafood Board (BSB) was established by the National Fisheries Institute to provide a mechanism for industry's partners in the supply chain - restaurants, retail operations, producers and processors - to report suppliers suspected of committing economic fraud.