Grijalva, Huffman Commend Biden Administration Action to Hold Seafood Industry Accountable for Forced Labor

Huffman, Grijalva Commend Biden Administration Action to Hold Seafood Industry Accountable for Forced Labor

WASHINGTON – Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) today issued the following joint statement on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s new action to add seafood to the list of high priority sectors for enforcement under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

“Thanks to groundbreaking reporting from the Outlaw Ocean Project, we know that human rights violations, including forced labor, are running rampant across the global seafood supply chain,” the lawmakers said. “As the world’s largest importer of seafood, the United States has a duty to hold the industry accountable for these unacceptable practices and keep tainted products off American families’ dinner tables. The Biden administration’s work to enforce a higher global standard for the seafood industry is commendable and we look forward to continuing to work with them to keep that momentum going.”

Additional Background

Last year, investigative reporting by the Outlaw Ocean Project uncovered major human rights abuses across the global seafood supply chain, largely concentrated in the People’s Republic of China’s fishing fleet and seafood processing centers.

Ranking Members Grijalva and Huffman responded to these findings in part by sending a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection urging use of its full authorities under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to investigate these reports and fully enforce violations of the law.

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