Correspondence
Email sent to Transgourmet's main email address and their Transgourmet Seafood email address.
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 a supplier of Transgourmet Deutschland called Kramers’ Seafood.
Kramers’ Seafood imports Alaska pollock from Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Foodstuffs Co. Ltd, and sells Alaska pollock under its Fishmasters label. Fishmasters-branded Alaska pollock is distributed by Transgourmet Deutschland, according to its online shop and seafood catalogue.
Qingdao Tianyuan has received persons transferred from the Xinjiang region of China under a state-imposed forced labor transfer program since 2020, and until at least 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 programs which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
Does Transgourmet have any comment or clarification to make regarding the above information? Please let us know by close of business August 25, 2023."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed two contact addresses at Transgourmet Deutschland: "We emailed you on August 16 regarding our investigation into 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 a supplier of Transgourmet Deutschland called Kramers’ Seafood. We’re reaching out to you again now to share further findings of our research.
Trade records viewed by The Outlaw Ocean Project show that Kramers’ Seafood imported shipments of Alaska pollock from a processor in China called Qingao Lian Yang in 2021 and 2022. Qingdao Lian Yang has received persons transferred from the Xinjiang region of China under the same government labor transfer program referred to in our previous email, since at least April 2022 and as recently as April 2023.
Qingdao Lian Yang is also linked to Qingdao Tianyuan, which has supplied pollock to Kramers and was referred to in our previous email, through corporate ownership.
While we recognize that you may not be aware of the above problems, we wanted to ask you if you have any comment or statement in response to the above information. Also, can you confirm or deny if Transgourmet Deutschland has supplied any pollock sourced from Kramers to any public institution or purchasing organization, including the Stadt Ulm contract to supply the city’s public schools with meals?"