Correspondence
Email sent to Molly Blakeman Senior Director, Communications at Walmart. Query also submitted via online submission form on Walmart's website.
The email said that squid processed at the Shantou Haimao Foodstuffs Factory is packaged for Walmart under the chain’s Great Value brand. Satellite data shows that some of this squid is caught by Chinese vessels fishing in waters claimed by Taiwan. It asked if Walmart had any comment in light of this information.
Blair Cromwell, Director of Global Responsibility Communications at Walmart, replied, asking for clarification on whether the allegations are environmental or human rights related, and for more details about the nature of abuses uncovered in the squid fishing industry generally and also those specific to Shantou.
The Outlaw Ocean Project sent further details of the investigation’s findings to Blair Cromwell at Walmart, saying: "Through our research on the Chinese squid fishing fleet, we have identified two primary areas of concern:
- illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and, 2. human rights abuses. We have uncovered a wide range of abuses under each category, to the extent that a quarter of the vessels in the total squid fleet have a history of human rights and/or environmental abuses in the past five years."
An email with additional findings of ties between vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing and/or labor abuses and brands stocked at Walmart was sent to Blair Cromwell at Walmart.
Blair Cromwell, Director of Global Responsibility Communications at Walmart, replied: "Walmart expects all our suppliers to comply with our standards and contractual obligations, including those relating to human rights. From what you’ve shared, we don’t have sufficient information to address these allegations. If you can provide more detail on specific allegations, we can look into them."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied with additional information on the processors in question, as well as further questions for Walmart regarding Walmart's policies for supplier compliance and human rights, as well as tracability mechanisms.
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed further information outlining connections between one of Walmart's suppliers for the Chinese market, Shandong Baoma.
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Walmart detailing connections between its supplier, High Liner Foods, and Uyghur forced labor at Yantai Sanko. The email also asked for comment.
Email sent to Walmart detailing additional connections between the company's supplier High Liner and Uyghur forced labor in Chiense seafood processing plants. The email asked: Could you confirm whether white fish sourced from Yantai Sanko or Yantai Longwin has been used in any of the High Liner branded white fish sold by Walmart since 2019?
The Outlaw Ocean Project sent an email to Blair Cromwell, Director of Global Communications at Walmart, saying: "We last emailed you on August 23, 2023, to highlight additional findings from our investigation into abuses in China’s seafood industry, as they related to Walmart’s supply chain. Our ongoing investigation has further findings which we want to bring to your attention. We have uncovered evidence that a Chinese seafood company called Donggang Haimeng Food Co. Ltd. used North Korean labor after the December 2019 deadline for the repatriation of overseas North Korean workers required under United Nations Security Council sanctions. This evidence shows North Korean labor at Haimeng’s factory in Liaoning, China, as recently as 2023. Furthermore, 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. Trade data shows: Canadian Fish Exporters was the consignee for dozens of shipments of dried and salted pollock from Haimeng since 2017. Salted pollock from the Canadian Fish Exporter brand Buena Ventura was listed on Walmart’s website as of November 9, 2023. Trade data also shows that a company called Quirch Foods Caribbean imported dozens of shipments of seafood from Haimeng since 2017. Salted pollock from Quirch Foods Caribbean’s brand Panamei Seafood is listed on Walmart’s website. While we understand that you may not be aware of the above issues, we want to ask if Walmart has any comment in response to this email? Can you confirm if seafood sourced from Haimeng has been used in any of the Canadian Fish Exporters or Quirch Foods Caribbean products sold by Walmart since 2017?"
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "As we haven't heard back from you on this, we wanted to check if Walmart has any comment or statement to make at this time?"