A report by international marine conservation organisation Oceana has found that one fifth of all seafood globally is mislabelled, putting consumers and fish buyers at serious risk of unwittingly buying endangered or unsustainable fish
Oceana reviewed more than 200 published studies from 55 countries, on every continent except for Antarctica. More than 25,000 tested samples worldwide were included in the review, and seafood fraud was found present in each investigation with only one exception. On average, one in five samples were mislabeled.
Ruth Westcott, from Sustainable Fish Cities, said: 'This report found seafood mislabelling in every sector of the supply chain: retail, wholesale, distribution, import, packaging and processing, and this clearly shows that businesses throughout the supply chain need to ensure they have reliable traceability documentation for everything that they buy if they want to avoid defrauding their customers.'
'The report also found that the EU is doing well – following a European Union crackdown on illegal fishing and improved transparency in seafood supply chains, as well as the growth in consumer labelling in European markets, the rate of mislabeling showed a decrease from 23% in 2011 to 8% in 2015. This proves that concerted action by policymakers can significantly reduce the risk of unsustainable fish slipping into supply chains. It is vital that we hold onto regulations to improve transparency and stamp out illegal fishing when the UK leaves the EU.'
'But 8% is still nowhere near good enough. To minimise the risk of mislabeling, businesses must, for preference, choose certified sustainable fish that comes with third-party traceability certification, such as the Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Otherwise they must request documentation from suppliers that shows exactly what species is being bought and where and how it was caught. As a rule of thumb, the further fish needs to travel, the more paperwork is needed.'
Published Friday 16 September 2016
Sustain: Sustain The alliance for better food and farming advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity.
