October 16, 2014 — Enjoy the flathead fillets dished up last night? Chances are the "flathead" was an unrelated species, bottom-trawled in Argentinian waters.
Australia's lax labelling laws for seafood mean restaurants and retailers can withhold information on the origins and species of popular seafood, depriving consumers of the ability to make informed choices.
On Thursday, Greenpeace and the Australian Marine Conservation Society launched the Label My Fish campaign, demanding Australian laws match the European Union standards that require the origin, species and method used to catch or farm be declared on seafood labels.
"The Aussie 'flathead' we think we are eating may well be an imported, cheaper South American fish, of a completely different family," said David Ritter, chief executive of Greenpeace Australia. "But there is often no labelling on your pub or fast food menu, or packet of frozen 'flathead', to reveal the truth."
The Label My Fish alliance, backed by celebrity chefs, academics, and Taronga Zoo and Zoos Victoria, says clearer labelling will encourage the use of sustainable fishing methods, boost the local fishing industry and lift public health protections.
Greenpeace research shows basa, native to the Mekong Delta and not a member of the dory family, is often marketed as "pacific dory". Two-thirds of barramundi is imported from Asia.
Read the full story from The Sydney Morning Herald