The Farm Bill now before Congress needs to address the Chinese catfish issue. Yet, the bill headed for floor debate could ignore the problem and give China a free ride at consumers’ expense. It would allow China to continue dumping fish in this country that are not up to U.S. standards.

Alabama is one of three states to ban Chinese catfish after the state took action against Vietnamese catfish, or basa, in 2005.

The imports were killing the catfish industry in Alabama while threatening the health of the people who never knew they were eating questionable imports.

But what about the catfish you are eating every Friday or Saturday night at your favorite diner? Do you know if they came from Alabama, Mississippi or another catfish producing state?

You don’t, unlike in supermarkets where seafood is labeled by country of origin. But people eat 70 percent of catfish in restaurants.

Rep. Benny Thompson, D-Miss., wants Congress to alert diners about their catfish. His legislation, Country of Origin Labeling, for catfish served in restaurants could get lost in the massive Farm Bill debate.

COOL is supposed to be a partial solution to the Food and Drug Administration agreeing to no longer inspect seafood from a major Chinese importer. FDA inspected five shipments from the importer and found them free of banned substances.

That’s not good enough.

China has to give its catfish strong doses of anti-biotics, anti-microbials, and anti-fungals before exporting them because of the heavily polluted environment in which they are raised.

At the least, Congress can pass COOL to allow diners to make informed decisions about their catfish. If the catfish are loaded with drugs, what about what is in Chinese shrimp and talapia?

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