Do you know where your crabmeat comes from? Lawmakers seek probe

Do you know where the crabmeat you purchase in Maryland really comes from? A bipartisan group of the region’s federal legislators has raised an alarm about it in a letter to President Joe Biden.

Here’s what to know.

Lawmakers from Maryland, Virginia unite to call for investigation

U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen, Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) along with U.S. Reps. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), David Trone (D-Md.), and Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) wrote to Biden outlining their concerns with the recent surge of crabmeat imports from Venezuela and its impact on the Chesapeake Bay region’s seafood economy, as well as public health.

In their Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, letter, the lawmakers urge Biden to launch an investigation through the International Trade Commission into the harm these imports pose to the domestic seafood industry, and press the administration to encourage a fairer seafood trade relationship.

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Letter: Crabmeat from Venezuela threatens Chesapeake Bay fisheries

“We write to express our significant concerns with the influx of crabmeat from Venezuela, which has threatened the viability of local fisheries across the Chesapeake Bay. Domestic seafood producers in Maryland and Virginia have experienced significant strain due to the influx of imported Venezuelan crabmeat, some of which is mislabeled and contaminated. In 2018, Venezuelan crabmeat mislabeled as originating from Maryland caused an outbreak of foodborne illnesses, resulting in multiple hospitalizations,” the lawmakers began.

Highlighting the economic damage caused by Venezuelan imports, they wrote, “Since then, the supply of imported crabmeat has increased, threatening the future livelihood of domestic industry and creating the conditions for a 62 percent decrease in the domestic supply. This has harmed crab fishing industries throughout the Chesapeake Bay, which produces 50 percent of the United States’ total blue crab harvest, a proportion that is now diminishing year over year. There are now fewer than 20 Maryland crab picking and seafood processing companies, down from 53 in 1995.”

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What lawmakers want President Biden to do about crabmeat

The bipartisan group of lawmakers call for Biden to:

• Direct the United States International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation, per Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, looking into the harm caused by Venezuelan crabmeat imports and recommending remedies.
• Use the full array of informal actions available to address this trade issue, including through negotiations, utilization of World Trade Organization Committees, bilateral dialogues and other activities.

Oceana applauds call for action vs. surge of crabmeat from Venezuela

In response to the letter, Oceana Campaign Director Max Valentine released the following statement:

“The blue crab is an iconic symbol of Chesapeake Bay and supports the livelihoods of thousands of local fishers and seafood businesses in Maryland and Virginia. The clear bipartisan concern over mislabeled and fraudulent seafood emphasizes the gaps in our current seafood traceability system. We need documentation for all seafood so that we can trace it from the boat or farm to our dinner plates.

“Seafood traceability protects American consumers and levels the playing field for U.S. fishers. The United States must expand the Seafood Import Monitoring Program to include catch documentation and traceability requirements for all seafood.  It’s the only way we can make sure our seafood is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled.”

This story has been updated to remove one photo.

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