Protectionism. Trade wars. We’ve covered this stuff in this blog before.
Well, thanks to a nasty little advertisement brought to us (again)by the Catfish Farmers of America, we’ll have another go.
Similar to last weeks blog entry discussing Australis Aquaculture’s poor taste in promoting its barramundi product, we now see the U.S. Catfish gang step up their anti-import propoganda. Both are examples of nasty marketing that only sets to confuse the seafood loving consumer and should be vilified by most seafood producers.
Just call it a trade war – be honest. But don’t try to “food scare” us into supporting you. Frankly, it’s embarrassing and wreaks of desperation.
The latest attack, titled “Food Safety First!”, is a 30 second tv advertisement airing on major U.S. newschannels. It features a very attractive woman stating, “Did you know only 2 percent of imported seafood is inspected? The Mekong River in Vietnam, full of contaminants, sends us 100 million pounds of catfish each year, and 98 percent gets served for dinner un-inspected.”
Half truths at best. The fact is, whether grown domestically or abroad, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set up strict safety controls (at the point of origin) to ensure a healthy product. It’s a program that is actually very robust and should be boasted about.
The Catfish Farmers of America need to stop this nonsense and stick to what they do best – growing a great product. Leave the nasty advertising to our politicians.
Below is the ad. Please tell us how you feel about this type of advertising. Does it cross the line?
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