Correspondence
Email sent to Karen Damkjar, Quality Control Manager at Frobisher International.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry. A report published in 2022 by the non-governmental research organization, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, identified Dandong Taihua Food Co. Ltd. 丹东泰华食品有限公司 as using North Korean labor after the deadline for the repatriation of overseas North Korean workers required under UN Security Council Resolutions. The import to the U.S. of goods produced by North Koreans is prohibited under U.S. sanctions. Trade data shows that Frobisher International Enterprise has imported several shipments of seafood products from Dandong Taihua since 2019. Does Frobisher International Enterprise have any comment to make in light of the above information? Please response to this email by close of business June 16, 2023."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "I wrote to you earlier this year regarding The Outlaw Ocean Project’s investigation into the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry as it related to your supply chain. I am contacting you again in light of new findings made as part of our ongoing reporting, which concerns abuses in the Chinese squid fishing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between companies engaged in abuses and a supplier in your supply chain - Rongcheng Puchen.
We have evidence of squid catch from a Zhoushan Ningtai Ocean Fisheries vessel that engaged in unregulated fishing activity - the Ning Tai 58 - at Rongcheng Puchen’s processing plant. Another 14 vessels owned by Zhoushan Ningtai are linked to a range of environmental and human rights issues including forced labor, AIS spoofing, shark finning, and unauthorized transhipment. Unauthorized transhipment can undermine supply chain traceability by obfuscating the movement of catch from vessel to processor.
Trade data shows that Frobisher International Enterprise has imported several shipments of seafood products from Rongcheng Puchen Aquatic Co Ltd since 2018.
Does Frobisher International have any comment or clarification to make regarding the above information? Please let us know by close of business August 25, 2023."