Section 10
Regulatory & Compliance
Compliance is a brand asset. Every claim, label, and marketing line passes through this section. The rule is simple: if a regulator can't defend it, we don't say it.
Disclaimer. This page summarizes the regulatory landscape as it pertains to brand and marketing claims. It is not legal advice. Statutes, rules, and certification standards change. All claims with regulatory implications must be reviewed by qualified counsel and the relevant agency before publication.
The stance
Three sentences. Memorize them.
-
01
Marketing matches the filing.
If the website says it, the file at the agency must support it.
-
02
No claim without a record.
Every measurable claim has a document behind it. If the document doesn't exist, neither does the claim.
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03
Default to disclosure.
When in doubt, say more, not less. Transparency is the cheapest insurance we have.
Regulatory landscape
Federal
| Agency / Framework | What it governs | Brand impact |
|---|---|---|
| FDA — Seafood HACCP (21 CFR 123) | Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points for seafood processors | Compliance is a baseline claim; detailed claims require auditable plan |
| FDA — Food Labeling (21 CFR 101) | Required label elements for packaged seafood | Drives our retail label spec when DTC launches |
| FDA — Seafood List | Acceptable market names by species | Our market name is "redfish" or "Redfish"; Sciaenops ocellatus as the species name |
| NOAA / NMFS — COOL | Country-of-origin labeling | Our claim: "Product of USA — Texas" with documentation |
| FTC — Green Guides (16 CFR 260) | Truth-in-advertising for environmental claims | Drives our sustainability-claim hygiene rules |
State (Texas)
| Agency | What it governs | Brand impact |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Parks & Wildlife (TPWD) | Aquaculture & fish farming permits | We operate under TPWD permit(s); referenced in transparency reporting |
| Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) | Aquaculture co-regulation; certain marketing programs | Confirm any "Texas product" branding programs (e.g. GO TEXAN) |
| Texas DSHS — Food Safety | Food handling for processed product | Sanitation & HACCP plans align here |
| TCEQ | Water discharge, effluent | Discharge data & constructed-wetland claims must reference TCEQ permits |
Sustainability claim hygiene
What we say. What we never say.
Say (when documented)
- "Recirculating systems reusing X% of process water" (with X documented)
- "Feed conversion ratio of X.X averaged across [period]"
- "Discharge polished through a constructed wetland"
- "Native species — Sciaenops ocellatus — endemic to Texas coastal waters"
- "BAP-certified at the [level] facility" (only when current)
- "Rated [Best Choice / Good Alternative] by Seafood Watch"
Never say
- Sustainable alone, with no supporting claim
- All-natural — no FDA definition for fish
- Organic — USDA does not certify organic finfish
- Wild-caught — we farm
- Eco-friendly / Green / Earth-conscious — vague per FTC
- Carbon neutral — only with verified third-party assessment
- Locally sourced — without a stated radius
Decision tree
What to do when you see a claim you're not sure about
Is the claim measurable?
├── No → Rewrite or remove
└── Yes → Is there a document supporting it?
├── No → Pull until documented
└── Yes → Is the document current?
├── No → Pull until refreshed
└── Yes → Is the claim consistent with our filings?
├── No → Stop. Escalate to brand steward + counsel.
└── Yes → Publish.When uncertain at any step, escalate. The cost of pulling a draft before publication is roughly zero. The cost of pulling it after — across PR, customer trust, and possibly regulatory action — is not.
Calendar
Brand-touching compliance items
| Item | Cadence | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Permit renewals (TPWD, TCEQ) | Per permit term | Operations |
| HACCP plan review | Annual | Operations + counsel |
| Marketing claims audit (vs. live copy) | Quarterly | Brand steward + counsel |
| Sustainability data report (public) | Annual | Operations + brand |
| Certification audits (BAP / ASC) | Per certification cycle | Operations |
| Partner co-marketing review | Per request | Brand steward |