Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Ocean Beauty Seafoods.
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, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and your supply chain.
Your supplier Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the state-imposed labor transfer program. The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment.
The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor. Does Ocean Beauty Seafoods have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please respond to this email by close of business May 26, 2023."
Email sent to Ocean Beauty Seafoods: "I recently contacted you in relation to our investigation into the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry, as it related to your supply chain. The email noted that one of your suppliers - Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products - has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the state-imposed labor transfer program.
Public records show that, since 2019, the Department of Agriculture has awarded five procurement contracts to Ocean Beauty Seafoods. Can you clarify if Ocean Beauty Seafoods sourced any product from Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products, or any other Chinese supplier, to fulfill any of the Department of Agriculture contracts, in full or in part? Please respond to this email by close of business July 24, 2023."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Ocean Beauty Seafoods: "I’m following up on my emails dated May 24, 2023 and July 20, 2023, with additional details we have uncovered in our investigation into the use of forced labor in China’s seafood processing industry, as it relates to your supply chain. Our investigation continues to surface additional questions in relation to your company’s supply chain Ocean Beauty Seafoods imports frozen pacific cod fillets from Qingdao Lian Yang Aquatic Product, according to publicly available trade data.
Qingdao Lian Yang is linked to the company mentioned in our previous communications, Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products, through corporate ownership. Our investigation has also found Uyghurs working at Qingdao Lian Yang, since April 2022 and until as recently as April 2023. OBS Smoked & Distributed, a company associated with Ocean Beauty Seafoods, also imports pacific cod fillets from Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products. According to publicly available trade data, the most recent import was in April 2023. As noted in our previous emails, Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the state- imposed labor transfer program as recently as May 2023.
The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
We have the following questions:
- Could you confirm whether any of the various seafoods sourced from your suppliers Qingdao Tianyuan and Qingdao Lian Yang have been used in any of the Ocean Beauty Seafood products available in North American retail markets?
- Could you confirm whether any of the various seafoods sourced from your suppliers Qingdao Tianyuan and Qingdao Lian Yang have been used in any of the OBS Smoked & Distribution products available in North American retail markets?
- Could you confirm whether or not any of the various seafoods sourced from your suppliers Qingdao Tianyuan and Qingdao Lian Yang have been used to fulfill your procurement contracts with the U.S. government?
Does Ocean Beauty Seafoods have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please respond to this email by close of business September 1, 2023, and note that all interactions are fully on record."