It’s estimated that 86% of the seafood consumed by Americans is imported, and most of that comes from China, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, and is largely farmed. It has long been established that seafood, particularly shrimp and salmon, originating out of these aquafarms is toxic. Aquafarms in Asia are unregulated and have operation standards that fall below American standards. According to Jessica Johnson of Louisiana State University, “shrimp farmed in Asia and sold in U.S. grocery stores contain significant residues of antibiotics that are administered as part of intensive aquaculture in the countries they originate from – drugs that are banned for this use in the United States, but that may not be detected when the shrimp are imported.” Johnson’s testing of foreign shrimp revealed the presence of four drugs: choloramphenicol, an early antibiotic that’s been linked to the development of aplastic anemia, malachite green, a dye used as a fungicide and has been shown to cause liver tumors, nitrofurons, a known carcinogen and fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics which includes the commonly prescribed Cipro. All of these drugs are banned for use in food-producing animals in the U.S. The FDA’s ability to detect toxins in imported fish is limited by a lack of funds, and so only a small fraction of contaminated seafood is detected. In fact, the FDA routinely tests fewer than 2% of imported seafood. Aquafarms, however, present only one reason not to consume seafood from foreign sources. The existence of slave labor, recently discussed in an article in The New York Times, is a major consideration and “nowhere is the problem more pronounced than…in the South China Sea, especially in the Thai fishing fleet.”
Countries that engage in trafficking and slave labor, such as North Korea, Syria, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and Zimbabwe are considered Tier 3 countries which the U.S. condemns and imposes economic sanctions to deter these practices. Thailand, however, also a Tier 3 violator, enjoys good relations with the U.S. In 2013, the U.S. imported $1.1 billion worth of tuna and shrimp from Thailand. The New York Times article concentrated on open sea fishing operations, so the fish is wild and presumably safe to eat, but the conditions for thousands of young men, most from Burma and Cambodia, are appalling and even deadly. The Thai fishing industry also provides much of the seafood used in American brand pet foods.
The Tier 3 ranking and a federal law making it illegal to sell products in the U.S. that have ties to slavery have apparently not deterred Walmart, Sysco, Albertson’s, Safeway and Kroger from selling Thai seafood. And at least three American pet food companies were named in The New York Times article – Meow Mix, Fancy Feast and Iams. None of these companies responded to requests for comment, and it is apparent by increased media exposure that they must be aware that the Thai fishing industry is engaged in slave labor. Indeed, after being rescued from a slave ship this year, a young man from Burma testified before a congressional hearing. He said, “I want to say to the congressmen that if I were to mention all the human skulls and bones from fishermen who died, the sea would be full of Burmese bones. On behalf of all the fishermen here, I request the congressmen that the U.S. stop buying all fish from Thailand. If the label says Thailand, the U.S. should stop buying it.”
This is how it works. Desperate young men and boys are lured away from home with promises of jobs. Once in Thailand, they are sold to ship captains and can remain on the boats for years. They are generally fed rice with a little fish once a day, often work 16-18 hours a day and are routinely beaten for minor infractions. If sick, they are thrown overboard, and those rescued claim to have witnessed murders aboard the ships. An AP report, issued in March of this year, described 20-22 hour shifts and unclean drinking water. Rescued slaves told of being kicked, beaten or whipped with toxic stingray tails if they complained or tried to rest. Many of these captives are as young as 15 years old.
In addition to toxic farming methods and a slave trade that involves approximately 50,000 men and boys, the illegal fishing industry is also responsible for depleting the world’s fishing grounds. Another New York Times article published on July 28 recorded the successful effort of Sea Shepherd, an environmental organization, in stopping the Thunder, apparently “the world’s most notorious fish poacher.” Thunder was one of only five ships in the world to be considered responsible for the depletion of “over 90% of the ocean’s large fish like marlin, tuna and swordfish.” The ship was a renegade, flying the flag of many countries over the years, including Britain.
It should be evident that we must pay close attention to where the seafood we consume originates in order to protect our health, the freedom of many thousands and the global seafood populations.
Recipe of the Week
This simple salad dressing proves to be quite refreshing and is easy to make.
juice from 1/2 of a large lemon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 grindings of fresh black pepper
1/2 tsp of good quality dijon mustard
1 large clove garlic, minced
Put all the ingredients, except the oil, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse briefly, then very slowly pour in the olive oil. Taste to see if more olive oil or lemon is needed.