Proposed bill to regulate oyster industry gaining support

Louisiana’s oyster industry will be facing sure-fire changes over the next year, given the amount of attention it has received recently from lawmakers and the introduction of a new bill by U.S. Sen. David Vitter that will beef up standards on imported seafood products.

The bill, or Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act, was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Jan. 20. Although the bill has received support from major players like A.J. Fabre, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, there are no cosponsors.

Fabre said, “…I would like to thank Sen. Vitter for his hard work and the dedication and concern for the American consumer he’s shown by introducing the [bill],” in a news release issued by Sen. Vitter’s office last Thursday. “Given the fact that less than 2 percent of imported seafood is tested upon entry into our country, we feel this legislation will add the needed food safety protection for American consumers.”

Louisiana is the No. 1 producer of oysters in the nation.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) touted a measure at the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference in October 2009 aimed at banning the sale of raw oysters untreated for the virus Vibrio vulnificus, which is found in the warmer waters of the Gulf Coast. The proposal would have taken effect in 2011, but strong opposition from political leaders and industry representatives prompted the FDA to reconsider.

If passed, the measure would have substantially increased the cost of importing oysters, raising the price for consumers and forcing the industry to spend billions in sterilization techniques.

Language in the senator’s bill would require foreign export facilities to be inspected at least once a year to ensure they meet U.S. standards for seafood manufacturing, processing and holding; 20 percent of seafood imported into the U.S. would also be inspected alongside stricter penalties for those who fail to meet safety standards.

Shipments that fail to meet those standards could be detained or even destroyed, according to the bill.

Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain has also voiced his support for the senator’s measure.

“All foreign seafood coming into this country needs to be held to the same standards as that of our domestic seafood industry. We think this is the first step of many to protect our American seafood consumers,” he said in the release.

Albeit more frequent inspections, the bill would increase penalties on individuals and organizations that mislabel products and allow for a ban on imports from countries that knowingly violate U.S. safety standards. States could become partially responsible for the inspection, testing and certification of seafood imported or offered for import into the U.S.

State officials would be trained to carry out the initiatives via a cooperative seafood inspection program.

“Our state has a rich fishing heritage that provides many Louisiana families with their livelihoods and is a central component of Louisiana’s unique cuisine. Given these traditions, I believe that seafood imported from other countries should be held to the same high standards we place on our own seafood,” added Sen. Vitter in the release.

Representatives of the Louisiana oyster industry traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20 to celebrate the delicacies during the annual “Let the World Be Your Oyster” reception. Many feared the scrumptious treat would become scarce following the FDA’s attempts to crack down on the sale of raw, untreated oysters.

A news release issued by the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board on Jan. 15 said, “Representatives from Gulf Coast oyster industries feared that the proposal would have had a dramatic economic effect on those who work in the oyster industry across the Gulf Coast. Thousands of people could have potentially lost their jobs and [a] way of life that has existed for generations would have become extinct.”

Mike Voisin, a founding member of the Gulf Oyster Industry Council, said “Over the years Louisiana oyster fishermen and harvesters have taken serious steps to improve the safety and quality of their product, from shortening the time frame between harvesting and refrigeration and in many instances, installing refrigerators on oyster boats,” in the release.

“We know that there is a way for our product to exist on the market year round and are committed to continuing to work with the FDA on a resolution that works for all parties involved,” he added.

Combined with his efforts in the seafood industry, Voisin was appointed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission on Jan. 14, which was created to protect, conserve and replenish the natural resources and wildlife that exists throughout the state.