Could Terrorists Target Your Tuna?

The threat of terrorism is affecting even the nation's seafood industry and its largest trade show.

Some 20,000 people gather this week in Boston at the International Seafood Show for industry gossip, talk of the latest technology and trends, and networking.

But the convention also will feature sobering discussions on the vulnerability of the nation's food supply, particularly seafood, and the effects of new regulations on the industry.

Some experts worry that the industry could be susceptible because raw fish is a ready breeding ground for bacteria and because the industry comprises numerous small companies, which makes oversight difficult.

A bioterrorism bill passed by the Senate in December provides for stronger federal oversight of the seafood industry, requiring federal registration of processing plants and authorizing the Food and Drug Administration to seize catches in an emergency. A conference committee is trying to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions.

The industry insists safety is its priority, but there are worries that its many small businesses also could be vulnerable to over-regulation.

"Some of these provisions, depending on how they're implemented, particularly affect the small businesses," said Linda Candler, a spokeswoman for the National Fisheries Institute, the largest trade group representing seafood processors, wholesalers and import/export companies. "And there are lots of small businesses in seafood, lots that are family-owned and -operated."

The institute planned a panel discussion on the issue Tuesday.

Caroline Smith DeWaal, food safety director at the Center for Science and the Public Interest in Washington, was invited to participate in the discussion. In an interview, she said the regulations don't go far enough, especially in giving the FDA power to inspect and regulate imported fish, which she said accounts for more than half of the seafood Americans eat.

As for the industry's concerns about small businesses, she said: "You will not survive in business if safety is anything but your first priority."

Mark Kotok, president of Arctic Fisheries in Buffalo, N.Y., one of the exhibitors at the show, said that while every company should rethink safety, Americans just don't eat enough fish to make seafood a likely target.

And because there are so many producers, there is no one place where a terrorist could strike a devastating blow, he said.

"My perception is there are many other priorities that could be addressed more seriously there," he said.

Still, Kotok agrees that some oversight is necessary, and he says Sept. 11 and the anthrax attacks have forced everyone to think about the issue.

"My druthers would be to have the industry police itself," he said. "However, I don't think the industry is in a position to police itself."

The federal legislation would authorize the FDA to detain catches for up to 30 days during a health threat.

"If you're looking at fresh fish and you talk about 30 days, the product is lost, whether there's anything wrong with it or not," Candler said. "If you're a small business, that happens once or twice and you lose lots of fish, the consequences are dire."

But DeWaal said the rule is actually quite weak because it requires the government to declare a health emergency, by which time it might be too late.

"If an outbreak occurs, you want the government agencies to get the food off the market quickly," she said.