Senators Secure Name Change for Alaska Pollock to 'Pollock' in Omnibus Budget Bill
A bill to legally change the acceptable market name of “Alaska Pollock” to just pollock will get approved in a few days as part of the Omnibus budget bill. The change means pollock produced by US companies in the Bering Sea will be be labeled 'Alaska pollock' since it reflects its true geographic origin. But pollock produced elsewhere such as Russia, will be labeled as just pollock. “By changing the acceptable market name to pollock, it will be illegal to label pollock caught in Russia, as Alaskan. Americans will be able to shop with confidence, knowing that they are buying the real thing and not a knock-off,” said Washington Senator Maria Cantwell.
In today’s Editor View column John Sackton writes of how retailers should react in response to the Associated Press’s investigation into the use of slave labor at shrimp peeling sheds in Thailand. Sackton writes that it is crucial for retailers to assert a two-way, long term trust with its suppliers in order to guarantee that it is buying shrimp and seafood products processed in responsible methods. “Without building this two-way long term supplier trust relationship, retailers will not be able to confidently say to their customers that yes, their shrimp is not tainted in any way by slavery or forced labor,” says Sackton.
Meanwhile, the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission held a conference call Tuesday to discuss marketing and promotional strategies to counter the bad press surrounding the fishery since it was forced to close in November for high levels of domoic acid. Optimistic reports peg the season’s first Dungeness crabs landings as early as December 30, at which point the industry wants a message out to consumers that the crabs are available and safe for consumption.
Finally, Chilean airport workers are set to stage a two-day strike beginning December 17 for better benefits. The work stoppage threatens fresh salmon shipments to US and other international markets. The strike comes at an inopportune time for traders who are already dealing with seasonally-driven holiday delays to their shipments.
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