Care2 member? Log in

Don't Gut the "Organic" Label for Fish!

Target: USDA & Obama Administration Transition Team
Sponsored by: Consumers Union

There's something fishy going on in Washington.

While you may expect the highest standards for food bearing the organic label, bureaucrats at the National Organics Standards Board in Washington just decided to gut the organic label for fish.

On November 20, the board issued recommendations to the USDA stating that fish can be labeled 'organic' even if they've been fed wild fish, which come from polluted environments and are high in mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Toxic organic fish? That's outrageous!

And the board recommends fish raised in open ocean net pens be eligible for the organic label. This type of fish farming is highly polluting, as large amounts of toxins, disease and parasites are flushed directly into the ocean – harming the wild fish supply, sustainability and the health of the oceans.

Sign our petition to tell the USDA and the Obama Administration transition team that you're disappointed in this decision to gut the organic label for fish. Let's make sure consumers' voices are heard on organic standards!

deadline: Ongoing...
goal: 10,000

6,408
signatures!

Sign Petition see who signed this

Prefix

optional

First name

Last name

don't display my name

Country

Address

City

State

Province

Zip code Postal code

Why do you support strong organic standards for fish?

Do you have children?

	I agree to Care2's terms of service.
	We respect your privacy. Your email address is used to confirm your signature and is NOT displayed publicly.

Having problems signing this petition? Please let us know.

I am extremely disappointed in the November 20 decision by the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) to accept the recommendations for "organic" fish production that will allow fish to carry the USDA organic label -- despite being raised under conditions that fail to meet fundamental USDA organic principles.

As a consumer who puts value and faith in the organic label, I expect fish labeled as organic to meet the same high standards as all other organic products and livestock. Anything less is a disservice to the organic label and American consumers.

These terrible NOSB recommendations allow:
- Fish to be fed food other than 100% organic feed -- the gold standard that must be met by other USDA-certified organic livestock;
- Fishmeal used to feed farmed fish from wild fish -- which has the potential to carry mercury and PCBs; and
- Open net cages to be used -- which flush pollution, disease and parasites from open net fish farms directly into the ocean, adversely impacting wild fish supply, sustainability and the health of the oceans.

We signed the “Don't Gut the "Organic" Label for Fish!” petition!

# 6,412:

10:37 pm PST, Jan 8, Keegan Allen, Vermont

# 6,411:

10:14 pm PST, Jan 8, Emily Hauer, New York

# 6,410:

1:43 pm PST, Jan 8, Nicole Whitaker, California

# 6,409:

12:17 pm PST, Jan 8, Nadia Knoblock, Pennsylvania

# 6,408:

8:12 am PST, Jan 8, Crysta Mcgrath, Pennsylvania

# 6,407:

7:44 am PST, Jan 8, Lisa Webber, New York
If fish are being fed food that is not 100% organic then clearly the fish itself can not be labeled "Organic". Furthermore, the public's health and safety is at risk if these fish contain high levels of mercury and PCBs. We all know that PCBs are linked to an increase in cancer. This country has major labeling problems and I am sick of being lied to. It is time that Americans stand up for our rights ~ the right to know what we are eating and putting into our bodies. We have the right to be told the truth. It starts here...do not place an "Organic" label on something that is clearly not organic.

# 6,406:

7:43 am PST, Jan 8, Joan Joesting, Florida

# 6,405:

8:50 pm PST, Jan 7, Name not displayed, California

# 6,404:

5:42 pm PST, Jan 7, Madelyn Kerby, Michigan

# 6,403:

12:44 pm PST, Jan 7, Jen Russell, New Zealand

# 6,402:

8:12 am PST, Jan 7, John Mark Robertson, Canada
The label has to mean something. Don't make a mockery of these standards.

# 6,401:

7:58 am PST, Jan 7, Chantal Cloutier, California
For the well being of our oceans, our children and the planet.

# 6,400:

7:11 am PST, Jan 7, Amy Cannata, France

# 6,399:

5:32 am PST, Jan 7, Anne-Kat. Reistad, Norway

# 6,398:

9:52 pm PST, Jan 6, George Kennedy, Alaska

# 6,397:

9:08 pm PST, Jan 6, Amy Lagera, Nevada

# 6,396:

8:21 pm PST, Jan 6, Dee Gee, California
Then we wonder why all these new illnesses are coming about. Let's stop to think of what is in our food with all the antibiotics and hormones that are being injected to the food we eat. This is just one example. It is time to start growing our own food and take it back to the way the native americans fed off the land. Stop deceiving the american public into what is going into our bodies! No more!

# 6,395:

6:32 pm PST, Jan 6, Angela Fludd-williams, Maryland
What the heck are you people trying to do make us guinnea pigs. Stop messing with my food. I don't want gmo, farm raised fish or animal life stock that has been altered in the market if I cannot tell by the product labeling. If it says wild caught it should be just that .

# 6,394:

1:35 pm PST, Jan 6, Name not displayed, New York

# 6,393:

1:19 pm PST, Jan 6, Kevin Hagan, Massachusetts

# 6,392:

12:13 pm PST, Jan 6, Dora Kassis, Greece

# 6,391:

12:06 pm PST, Jan 6, Reni Kistel, California

# 6,390:

3:13 am PST, Jan 6, Lisa Jaques, Canada

# 6,389:

2:01 am PST, Jan 6, Winefred Marcellin, Netherlands

# 6,388:

9:06 pm PST, Jan 5, Eric Serxner, New York

# 6,387:

7:55 pm PST, Jan 5, Barbara Katherine James, California

# 6,386:

5:55 pm PST, Jan 5, Paula Zerzan, California

# 6,385:

5:23 pm PST, Jan 5, Hildebrando Neto, Brazil

# 6,384:

5:06 pm PST, Jan 5, Gail Costic, Pennsylvania

# 6,383:

4:40 pm PST, Jan 5, Trinity Rowles, Canada

# 6,382:

1:21 pm PST, Jan 5, Molly Mysliwiec, California

# 6,381:

12:19 pm PST, Jan 5, Janice Burke, New Jersey

# 6,380:

11:32 am PST, Jan 5, Kareen Clarke, California
what is USDA for, anyway?

# 6,379:

10:57 am PST, Jan 5, Magdalini Tsimpousli, Greece

# 6,378:

10:29 am PST, Jan 5, Suzanne O'meara, South Africa

# 6,377:

10:00 am PST, Jan 5, Nikolette Lecuyer, United Kingdom

# 6,376:

9:29 am PST, Jan 5, Kerrie L Harrigan, Oregon

# 6,375:

8:11 am PST, Jan 5, Darren New, Australia

# 6,374:

7:53 am PST, Jan 5, Patrick Adcock, Arkansas

# 6,373:

6:58 am PST, Jan 5, Michael Earley, United Kingdom

# 6,372:

6:44 am PST, Jan 5, Name not displayed, Massachusetts
Because it's the best thing for food.

# 6,371:

5:08 am PST, Jan 5, Argyris Tsementzis, Guam

# 6,370:

1:25 am PST, Jan 5, Caroline Chola, South Africa
Yes

# 6,369:

3:36 pm PST, Jan 4, Name not displayed, Texas

# 6,368:

2:17 pm PST, Jan 4, Damon Simonetti, Massachusetts

# 6,367:

1:39 pm PST, Jan 4, Mervi Rantala, Finland

# 6,366:

10:49 pm PST, Jan 3, Jenny Pierce, California

# 6,365:

6:37 pm PST, Jan 3, LEONA ROBERTS, Hawaii
I don't want myself or anyone to be slowly poisoned by fish, or any other food or product that is labeled as organic! Hello??? the standard must be upheld!

# 6,364:

11:31 am PST, Jan 3, Valerie R. Malinosky, Washington

# 6,363:

9:44 am PST, Jan 3, Shannon Walasky, New York

# 6,362:

3:36 am PST, Jan 3, Ethan Velazquez, California

# 6,361:

8:48 pm PST, Jan 2, Cindy Cummings, Colorado

# 6,360:

3:41 pm PST, Jan 2, Katrina Craton, California

# 6,359:

12:36 pm PST, Jan 2, Erica Maranowski, Oregon

# 6,358:

12:32 pm PST, Jan 2, Autumn Chamberlin, Washington

# 6,357:

11:28 am PST, Jan 2, John Hinds, Oklahoma

# 6,356:

10:20 am PST, Jan 2, Anthony Eardley, Kentucky
This is a no-brainer! Because otherwise, the standard is not a standard, but a hoax.

# 6,355:

10:16 am PST, Jan 2, Lisa Heary, Florida
I recently stopped eating chicken and meat, but I am still eating fish. I am trying to get pregnant. If I am blessed with a child, I certainly do not want the child poisoned by mercury or other pollutants in the fish. If I cannot rely on my government to label the fish properly, how can I be assured that my unborn child would be safe? The American people trust that our food is nutritious and healthy, but I am concerned about the decision-making of the National Organics Standards Board and the USDA. Quite scary, actually.

# 6,354:

10:02 am PST, Jan 2, Name not displayed, California

# 6,353:

8:30 am PST, Jan 2, Elizabeth Butler, Kentucky

# 6,352:

7:15 am PST, Jan 2, Kristina Handley, Texas

# 6,351:

3:55 am PST, Jan 2, Ange Barrett, United Kingdom

View Signatures:
|<
<
6,412
6,350
6,300
...
150
100
50
>
>|