October 8, 2024
Spooky Swaps in the Seafood Industry
BY: Jessica McLean
As October’s shadows darken and Halloween’s eerie atmosphere takes over, there’s a real horror lurking beneath the surface of our oceans — illegal fishing.
Perpetrators of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing can operate like a phantom in the night, quietly plundering the ocean’s resources. This illicit activity can include fishing without authorization, ignoring catch limits, operating in closed areas, targeting protected wildlife, and severely depleting fish populations. The scary truth is that illegal fishing has become a bigger maritime security threat than piracy.
A byproduct of IUU activity can be seafood fraud — the practice of misleading consumers about their seafood to increase profit. Simply put, you think you’re buying one thing, when really, you’re buying something else.
October may be a scary season, but you shouldn’t have to be spooked by your seafood.
Despite growing concern about where our seafood comes from, consumers are frequently served a completely different species than the one they paid for. In fact, an Oceana study found that as much as one-third of seafood tested in restaurants and groceries is fraudulently labeled.
You end up getting tricked when you thought you were getting a treat. But if your seafood isn’t what you think it is…what else could it be?
FIVE SPOOKY SWAPS IN THE SEAFOOD INDUSTRY
Sold As | Seafood Swap |
---|---|
Atlantic Cod | Pacific Cod White Hake |
Salmon (wild / sockeye / king) | Farmed Atlantic Salmon |
Sea Bass | Antarctic Toothfish Patagonian Toothfish |
Red Snapper | Caribbean Red Snapper Crimson Snapper Spotted Rose Snapper Pacific Ocean Perch Yellowtail Rockfish Gilthead Seabream Madai Tilapia White Bass |
White Tuna | Escolar |
WHAT THIS MEANS AND WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
Seafood serves as an important source of protein and nutrients for millions of people every day. Fish is also the most common category of food responsible for foodborne illness outbreaks.
It’s the most heavily traded food commodity in the world, yet the supply chains are often the most opaque. That’s why seafood traceability is so important. By tracing fish from boat to plate, we can help prevent seafood fraud.
Oceana campaigns around the world to stop illegal fishing, increase transparency of fisheries activities, and require traceability for seafood to ensure that it’s safe, legally caught, responsible sourced, and honestly labeled.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
But there’s more to be done and your support is critical to Oceana’s victories for the oceans. Together, we can fight for a healthy future. Here are a few ways you can get involved.
Learn more about Oceana’s campaign to increase transparency at sea.
Join the fight against illegal fishing! Make a pledge to source sustainable seafood.
Make a donation to support Oceana’s campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans.