NBC News has publicized the allegations of Joshua Farinella previously employed in the shrimp industry in India concerning injudicious use of antibiotics and coercive labor practices by exporters of shrimp from India.  Farinella has elicited interest in Congress regarding unfair competition by shrimp producers in Asia and specifically India. 

Representative Mary Peltola (D-AK) and Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) have addressed a letter to the White House alleging, “These foreign producers deliberately use government subsidies and shortcuts- like packing the supply with banned antibiotics or using feed obtained through illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing practices to undercut domestic shrimp suppliers and flood the American market with cheap and unsafe shrimp.”  Currently, Congress is reviewing H.R. 4547, the Law Ensuring Safe Shrimp (LESS) Act that will intensify action by the FDA to monitor imported shrimp.  This Agency inspected only one percent of shrimp imports for the presence of antibiotics in 2023.  In comparison, the E.U. Food Safety Agency recognizes the need to inspect half of all imports.

Allegations by Farinella concerning the exploitation of workers were confirmed independently by the Corporate Accountability Lab.  Practices include forced labor, debt bondage and employing child labor.

Representatives of companies importing and selling shrimp from India maintain that their corporate policies prohibit forced labor or unsafe working conditions and they have committed to respond to reports of unsafe product and violations of international labor standards.