COLLINS SEEKS CLARIFICATION OF SEAFOOD LABELING RULES

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Senator Susan Collins is asking the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to clarify as soon as possible new labeling rules for seafood producers, called Country of Origin Labeling (COOL). COOL will require that all seafood be labeled to identify both the country where it was produced, and whether the fish or shellfish were wild or farm raised. The new labeling rules are scheduled to go into effect on September 30, 2004. But the rules have not yet been finalized and therefore not published, leaving seafood producers struggling to determine how they will adjust to the new labeling demands before the deadline.

Senator Collins expressed her concerns in a letter to the Administrator of Agricultural Marketing Services. Stinson Seafood based in Bath and Great Eastern Mussel Farms in Tenants Harbor support Senator Collins' effort.

"I have recently heard from seafood producers in Maine who are having difficulty marketing their products because of confusion surrounding COOL. These companies report that seafood retailers are already demanding COOL-compliant products, even though the mandatory requirements will not be in effect until September 30th," said Senator Collins. "This puts seafood producers in Maine and across the country in the difficult position of having to speculate about the specific requirements of the final regulation and to modify their production lines accordingly. Some business are worried this could be costly speculation, that will only get more expensive if they have to adjust again to comply with the final labeling rules."

Senator Collins urged the USDA to publish the final rules regarding COOL as soon as possible and appropriate. She also requested the following clarifications, specific to the concerns of some seafood producers in Maine:

· How the final regulations will handle seafood products that were part of a producer's inventory before COOL regulations take effect, such as canned sardines. · Whether canned sardines will be considered "processed food items," thus exempting them from COOL requirements. · What will be the labeling requirement for mussels that are spawned in the wild but then raised on a farm.

Senator Collins is a strong supporter of the COOL requirements, generally, because they will provide consumers with important information about the source of the food they eat, and will help American producers market their products.