“When our consumers go into the store and ask for farm-raised catfish, they deserve to know that what they’re getting is actually farm-raised,” Ross said. “Our catfish farmers don’t mind competition as long as it is fair competition. This legislation will help protect consumers and farm-raised catfish producers from these so-called catfish flooding our markets from Vietnam and other countries.”

“In January, I traveled to Vietnam and encouraged government officials there to end their practice of dumping so-called 'catfish' exports on our market,” Berry said. “We are not sure if the Vietnamese product is actually the genetic equivalent of catfish, and it certainly does not compare to Mississippi Delta-raised catfish in terms of quality and reliability.”

Last year, imports of Vietnamese catfish totaled 7 million pounds, more than triple the 2 million pounds imported in 1999 and more than 12 times the 575,000 pounds imported in 1998. In Vietnam, these so-called catfish, also known as “basa,” can be produced at a much lower cost due to cheap labor and less stringent environmental regulations. In fact, many of these fish are grown in floating cages in the Mekong River, exposing the fish to pollutants and other conditions. They are then dumped into American markets and often marketed as farm-raised catfish. Many catfish producers believe that these imports have sliced away as much as 10 percent of their markets.This legislation, H.R. 2439, would amend the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require retailers to inform consumers of the country of origin of the fish that they sell. Under the bill, all fish would be covered. Each retailer would be required to notify the consumer, at the final point of sale, of the country of origin of the fish. A fish product can only be designated as being from the United States if it is from a farm-raised fish that is exclusively born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S.

“By letting consumers know where the product is coming from, this bill will encourage the people in Arkansas and across America to buy catfish grown by our farm families, not in a polluted river in another country,” Ross added.“

American consumers deserve to know what they are putting on their dinner tables,” Berry concluded. “This legislation is about ensuring safety and accountability.”

Arkansas is the third largest producer of catfish in the nation, behind Mississippi and Alabama, with $65,737,000 or 13% of the U.S. total sales last year.

“When I got the call yesterday to meet with the president, I was honored to do so,” Ross said. “I want to offer up a new generation of leadership that fosters a bipartisan spirit in Washington.”

The congressman used the opportunity to express to the president his support for a strong Patients’ Bill of Rights. Ross is a cosponsor of the Ganske-Dingell-Norwood-Berry Patients’ Bill of Rights legislation that would protect patients from paying out-of-pocket for emergency room services, provide access to specialty care, and give patients the right to challenge their HMO decisions, knowing that independent, qualified physicians will determine the proper treatment.

“I was pleased today to be able to talk with President Bush about the Patients’ Bill of Rights, which is so important to me and the people in my district. Americans deserve the right to quality, affordable, and accessible health care, and I am optimistic my colleagues in Congress will join me in passing a meaningful patients protections bill.”
 

“Prescription drug discount cards offer no remedy, not even a band-aid. Often times, the so-called discount card will cost seniors more money than they currently pay for their prescriptions. This will put an even greater squeeze on our family pharmacies and does nothing to address the high cost of prescription drugs or the huge profits of the big drug companies.

“While I served in the Arkansas State Senate, I passed legislation cracking down on these so-called prescription cards. Seniors need a Medicare prescription drug benefit, not a bogus prescription card.”