Correspondence
Email sent to two contact addresses at the Richwell Group.
The email said: "I’m writing to you in light of our latest investigation, which concerns the Chinese squid fishing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in abuses in this industry and a supplier in your supply chain - Rongcheng Guangrun Aquatic Food.
Rongcheng Guangrun Aquatic Food is owned by Shandong Bodelong Group. Bodelong Group vessels have fished illegally in the South Atlantic and the South Pacific Oceans, and have disembarked at least two dead deckhands in the Port of Montevideo, in 2016 and 2019. One vessel also disembarked an ill deckhand in Montevideo in 2020 who had symptoms of beriberi, a sign of severe neglect.
Does the Richwell Group have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please respond to this email by close of business July 18, 2023."
Diane Zhang, Director of Import and Procurement at Richwell Group Inc. emailed a statement from Group President, Philip Chen. The statement was dated August 4, 2023, and said: “We note your assertions regarding a party who may be in the supply chain concerning products we import or distribute. Be advised that we have strict policies concerning our suppliers’ social and environmental responsibilities. However, we have no record of purchasing from the entity you referenced. As stated, foreign supply chains can be quite complex, are oftentimes in a state of flux and it can be difficult to determine the provenance of products as those products pass through many hands. We appreciate your information and have referred this matter to the parties we purchased from and have advised them to determine their upstream suppliers are in compliance with all safety and social standards.”
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied to Diane Zhang, Director of Import and Procurement, and Philip Chen, President of Richwell: "We just wanted to clarify one element in light of that statement. Trade records show that Richwell Group was the consignee for multiple shipments of squid from Rongcheng Guangrun Aquatic Foods in 2022. Is it the case that Richwell had not ordered directly from Rongcheng Guangrun, but that a third party supplier had secured these orders for Richwell? If so, can you disclose who was the third party (or parties) in these transactions?
Over the course of our investigation, we have spoken with many different stakeholders in the seafood industry – including fishery companies, importers and retailers – and one thing that has come up over and again is the complexity and reliability of supply chain traceability. This issue is also raised in Philip’s statement. What type of documentation does Richwell Group require from suppliers or intermediary parties to understand the entire chain of custody of a product? Do you have confidence that Richwell can trace all of its seafood products right back through the supply chain to source? Is there anything that you feel the seafood industry could do to improve supply chain traceability?
Please send us your response by close of business on August 14, 2023."