On January 1st, a new law
went into effect in California prohibiting seafood from being labeled "organic." The bill was supported by
consumer and organic food groups, as well as the Monterey Bay Aquarium. State Senator Jackie Speier, who authored the
bill, stated that it is designed to protect consumers in the absence of national standards regarding the production of
organic seafood, which would ideally be both healthier and better for the environment.
Some markets and seafood production companies are objecting to the legislation, claiming that they can only recoup
their costs for feeding their “organic everywhere but California” seafood by using the
“organic” label to command higher prices. But while truly organic producers may find themselves hurriedly
searching for new buzz-words to describe their fish and shellfish, the less scrupulous producers will be prevented from
falsely marketing their own products as organic.











