Senator Avella and Assemblyman Kim’s Fish Labeling Bill Signed Into Law

Queens, NY – This afternoon, Senator Tony Avella and Assemblyman Ron Kim stood with Sang Woo Lee, President of the Korean Seafood Association, to announce the signing into law of their legislation to reform and improve labeling practices in the seafood industry. The bill (S1422/A3178) will require fish wholesalers to accurately label the identity, weight, amount, and origin for each product, as well the name and address of the shipper, packer, or distributor.

Senator Avella, Assemblyman Kim, and Mr. Lee were joined by members and past presidents of the association at Kum Gang San, a local restaurant, to celebrate the new law.

The issue of retailers in the seafood industry being impacted by false labeling, especially at wholesale markets, had become a major issue for small business owners in the industry. For the two elected officials, the Korean American community in their district makes up a significant portion of the seafood industry in our state.

“Getting this bill signed into law is a huge victory for small business owners throughout our state who rely heavily on the integrity of the products they sell. When wholesalers mislabel fish products they harm the bottom line of retailers and create a level of distrust amongst consumers. Eliminating deception and improper labeling in our state’s seafood industry is going to go a long way in improving the lives of consumers and small businesses alike,” said Senator Avella.

“Small businesses still represent the heart of New York’s economy, even though it has become harder and harder for them survive. When my office first learned about the problem of false labeling in the seafood industry and its damaging effects on local businesses, I knew we had to try our hardest to bring it to an end. I would like to thank my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate for working with us to pass these bills, and our community’s small business owners for their tireless advocacy on this issue,” added Assemblyman Kim.

“Many Korean Americans are in the seafood industry, including myself, and we have experienced numerous difficulties, especially financial losses, because of dishonest information on labels from wholesalers who misrepresented the weight of their products. We have long waited for this bill to be passed and now that it has finally become law, it will prove to be an enormous help for the Korean American retailers of New York,” stated Sang Woo Lee, President of the Korean Seafood Association.

“When the weight of the shipment is less than what you paid, the retailer loses but the customer loses too. This bill becoming law is important because when the weight is correct and the label is clear, everyone benefits. Everybody in the seafood industry is going to benefit from this. This law will begin helping little by little and a little bit of help is much better than nothing,” said Sang Ho Lee, Presidernt of the Korean-American Nail Salon Association of New York.