Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Weee! January 17, 2023: A letter with the same text as the email dated January 10 was sent by certified mail.
The email traced two supply chain links to Weee! Firstly, it described abuses on a jigger owned by Rongcheng Wangdao, including the death of one crew member and disembarkation of a second for medical care after mistreatment on board, and multiple indicators of forced labor among the ship’s crew. It then traced squid from that vessel to the fisheries company, Rongcheng Xinhui, a supplier to C&D International whose QF squid neck product is sold by Weee! Secondly, it traced squid from processor Shantou Haimao, which processes squid caught by Chinese vessels in waters Taiwan claims as its own, to Fortuna Sea Products. Fortuna’s West Bay brand squid is sold by Weee! The email asked if the company had any comment in light of the information discovered in The Outlaw Ocean Project investigation.
Monica Wallace of the communications agency Ruderfinn replied by email with this statement from Weee!: "We have removed all products from the suppliers in question from our website while we investigate this matter further. We have a strict supply code of conduct. If we find that any of our suppliers are in violation, we take immediate steps to address the concerns and/or stop selling the products in question."
Email sent to Monica Wallace of the communications agency Ruderfinn, outlining issues with comingling and related traceability issues. It detailed further connections between brands carried by Weee! and abuses in the Chinese squid fishing fleet: (1) Pacific American Food Co. Ltd. squid products sourced from Shandong Haidu Ocean Food Co. Ltd., Rongcheng Haibo Ocean Food Co. Ltd., Roncheng Runtong Aquatic Products Co. Ltd., and Shandong Lanrun Aquatic Products Co. Ltd. (2) Jack & King’s, distributor of J&J Seafood who imports squid from Shandong Haidu and Rongcheng Guangrun Aquatic Food Co. Ltd. The email also asked for an update on the internal inquiry which Weee! said it was conducting in light of the information provided by The Outlaw Ocean Project in the first email/letter.
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Monica Wallace of Rudderfin and the PR team at Weee!, saying: "We have uncovered evidence that the Chinese company Dandong Omeca Food Co. Ltd. used North Korean labor after the December 2019 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 United States sanctions. Trade data shows that Dragon Link Ltd. was the consignee for several shipments of seafood products from Dandong Omeca since 2021. According to our research, Weee! stocks Dragon Link seafood products for retail. While we recognize that Weee! may not be aware of the above problem, we wanted to ask you if Weee! has any comment to make in light of this email?"
Email sent to the PR team at Weee! saying: "We last contacted you on September 22, 2023, to highlight findings from our investigation into abuses in China’s seafood industry, as they related to Weee!’s supply chain. In that email, we said: “We have uncovered evidence that the Chinese company Dandong Omeca Food Co. Ltd. used North Korean labor after the December 2019 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 United States sanctions.” Under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), passed in 2017, the U.S. prohibits the import of any goods produced by North Korean nationals unless clear and convincing evidence is provided that indicates the materials were not made with forced labor. Since then, our ongoing investigation has uncovered further evidence of North Korean labor in Chinese seafood processing plants: We have found evidence of North Korean labor at Dandong Taifeng Foodstuff’s factory in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023. Trade data shows that Pacific American Fish (PAFCO) has imported dozens of shipments of seafood from Dandong Taifeng Foodstuff since 2017. We understand that Weee! stocks PAFCO seafood products under their Pacific Surf and Oceankist brands. In testimony to the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China in October 2023, the non-government organization the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea identified Donggang Luyuan Food Co., Ltd. as using North Korean labor. Trade data seen by The Outlaw Ocean Project shows that the U.S. food distributor Lam Sheng Kee International Group has imported over a dozen shipments of clam meat from Donggang Luyuan since 2017. According to our research, Weee! stocks Lam Sheng Kee-branded cooked razor clams. Does Weee! have any comment to make in response to this, or our previous, email? Please let us know by close of business on December 11, 2023, noting that all interactions remain on record. "
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "As we haven't heard back from you on this, we wanted to check if Weee! had any comment or statement to make at this time? Please let us know by close of business on February 9, 2024."