Saving Seafood

Class-action lawsuit accuses Walmart of inflating weight of frozen shrimp bags

October 27, 2026 — A class-action lawsuit filed by a shopper in the U.S. state of Illinois claims that bags of frozen shrimp sold by retail giant Walmart contain fewer shrimp than advertised.

The suit alleges that Walmart is counting the weight of the ice glaze utilized to prevent freezer burn on shrimp in its weight for the product, so when the bag is thawed out and drained, the product contains fewer shrimp than claimed. According to the lawsuit, the bags contain roughly 11 percent fewer shrimp than advertised.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Hawaii fishing industry applauds new federal law targeting tuna fraud

October 21, 2026 — A bipartisan measure that aims to prevent seafood fraud is now federal law.

President Donald Trump signed into law Oct. 15, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, led by U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Katie Britt, R-Alabama, Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, and Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi.

New test to verify origin

The new law calls for a standard procedure to identify where red snapper and certain tuna species come from, including the development of a field test kit that can determine whether fish were caught in U.S. or foreign waters.

The process will allow law enforcement to intercept illegally caught or falsely labeled fish before they enter U.S. markets, officials said.

“Our new law will give law enforcement a powerful new tool to detect where ahi comes from, help prevent seafood fraud, and give consumers better, more accurate information on what they’re buying and eating,” Schatz said.

International Atomic Energy Agency launches five-year project to address seafood fraud

April 3, 2026 — The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has launched a five-year research project that will use nuclear and related technologies to strengthen participating countries’ ability to detect and prevent seafood fraud.

According to IAEA, seafood consumption per capita has nearly doubled since the 1960s and is projected to double again by 2050, increasing the need to reduce seafood fraud now and protect fair trade practices.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Seafood fraud is rampant, imperiling fish populations, report finds

March 6, 2026 — The global fisheries and aquaculture sector produces more than 150 million metric tons of food per year, valued at nearly $200 billion. Yet it’s plagued with fraud, according to a new report.

The report, published Feb. 10 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency, both United Nations bodies, says that up to roughly 20% of aquatic products are intentionally mislabeled as the wrong species or otherwise fraudulent, posing environmental and health risks.

“A global 20% seafood fraud rate isn’t just a statistic; it’s a dire warning,” Max Valentine, a campaign director at U.S.-based marine conservation NGO Oceana, said in a statement. (An Oceana policy adviser to the NGO’s Europe branch contributed to the FAO report, but Valentine wasn’t involved with it.) “Consumers are falling victim to a bait and switch, and the fishers who play by the rules are paying the price. This is a global problem that every nation must work together to combat at its source.”

The report, presented at the World Seafood Congress held Feb. 9-11 in Chennai, India, calls for governments and industry stakeholders to establish better traceability systems, use advanced detection methods, and educate the public.

“Tools of great relevance are national legislation and national and international standards, which are vital in defining acceptable products and practices,” the report says.

Read the full article at the Mongabay

Is your seafood ‘catfishing’ you? Study shows 1 in 5 fish mislabeled, fraudulent

November 26, 2026 — Craving fish? Your seafood may be “catfishing” you.

Studies show diners may be getting a completely different, usually cheaper fish than the one they ordered.

It’s called seafood fraud, and it’s happening in quite a few Chicago restaurants, studies show.

NBC 5 Responds visited Hooked on Fish market in Edgewater to find out more about seafood fraud. Owner Karen Wollins explained that some consumers fall victim because it can be difficult to tell one fish from another just by looking at them.

“A lot of people don’t really know,” said Wollins, who has operated Hooked on Fish for the past decade. The market specializes in selling responsibly sourced, sustainable fish.

So we asked Kathy, a Hooked on Fish customer and diehard seafood fan, to try to identify a few fish species based on their fillets in a display window.

Read the full article at NBC Chicago

Aquaculture Stewardship Council using new tech to combat seafood fraud

March 21, 2022 — Along with a new marketing campaign that will be the largest in its history, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council is also developing new technology to help it combat seafood fraud.

The new tech is under the umbrella of the ASC’s new campaign “The New Way to Seafood.” As part of the campaign, the ASC said, it is developing new “trace element fingerprinting,” digital tagging and tracing technology, and the implementation of chain of custody protocols.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Josh Donlan: Mislabeling more complex than believed, needs targeted solutions

March 4, 2022 — Seafood fraud or mislabeling is a misunderstood and thinly researched problem requiring more input from seafood companies, according to academic and ecologist Josh Donlan, the founder and director of Advanced Conservation Strategies, which describes itself as providing “design-driven solutions for people and the environment.” Splitting his time between Spain and the U.S. state of Utah, Donlan is also a research fellow at the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology. SeafoodSource talked to Donlan about his research into the origins and complexities of mislabeling.

SeafoodSource: What are the key difference and similarities in the E.U. and U.S. approach to tackling mislabeling and seafood fraud?

Donlan: The U.S. government’s approach to tackling mislabeling is evolving, with the latest policy being SIMP [Seafood Import Monitoring Program] and even more recent dialogue about implementing changes to the SIMP. In general, the E.U.’s approach is more progressive, both in terms of traceability and labeling. For example, mandatory seafood labeling in the E.U. includes the scientific name, production method, the FAO fishing area where the seafood was caught, the name of the fishing vessel or aquaculture production unit, and fishing gear [used].

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

NOAA to Consider Expanding Species Included in the Seafood Import Monitoring Program

March 3, 2022 — NOAA Fisheries has submitted a report to Congress on the development of a priority list of species for consideration under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program. SIMP is a screening and deterrent tool to identify and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fish and fish products and misrepresented seafood from entering the U.S. market. It uses risk-based criteria to target the species most vulnerable to IUU fishing and seafood fraud. This complements the multiple tools the U.S. government uses to combat this issue.

The report evaluated the inclusion of the current species in SIMP and considered whether additional species should be included. The program’s current risk-based criteria targets the species most vulnerable to fishing and seafood fraud, and additional criteria as outlined by Congress.

“SIMP has been in effect for all 13 species and species groups, which comprise approximately 1,100 unique species, for about 3 years,” said Alexa Cole, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs, Trade and Commerce. “We are committed to its ongoing development and enhancement, both programmatic and regulatory, as part of NOAA’s comprehensive approach to combating IUU fishing and seafood fraud.”

Among the findings in the report, the agency will consider expanding several SIMP species to create larger species groups. This would address concerns that species misrepresentation may be occurring in order to circumvent reporting requirements.

Read the release from NOAA

 

More than 100 scientists call on Congress to end illegal fishing, human rights abuses in seafood supply chain

December 13, 2021 — More than 100 scientists on Monday called for federal action on illegal fishing, fraud and human rights abuses in the seafood industry.

In a letter to Congress, scientists called on representatives to end harmful practices along the seafood supply chain, including illegal, unreported and unregulated — or IUU — fishing and abuses like forced labor and human trafficking.

Human rights abuses and IUU fishing typically go hand in hand, scientists write, because unsustainable fishing practices push vessels further out to sea for longer periods of time, meaning some fishing companies rely on forced or underpaid labor to turn a profit.

“The interconnected issues of IUU fishing and human rights violations demand the United States take action to ensure that only safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled seafood is imported into our domestic market. The human rights abuses prevalent in the seafood sector make it clear that the United States needs to build in labor protections for those working at every stage in the seafood supply chain,” the letter’s authors write.

Read the full story at The Hill

 

Seafood fraud a hot topic at US restaurant show

May 21, 2019 — Seafood fraud is a hot topic at the ongoing National Restaurant Show, taking place from 18 to 21 May in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

Celebrity chefs Barton Seaver, Rick Bayless, and Andrew Zimmern all touched on the topic during public appearances at the show, as did executives from several top foodservice companies.

“The seafood industry as a whole is ill-served and everyone loses when seafood fraud happens,” Barton Seaver, a chef, author, and founder of the Coastal Culinary Academy, told SeafoodSource at the event, which is the largest U.S. restaurant show.

Seaver spoke on a panel about seafood mislabeling and sustainability along with Bayless, who is the chef and owner of Frontera Grill and other restaurants, and Josephine Theal, director of category management for food and hospital management firm Delaware North.

“We as operators create an environment in which fraud can profit,” Seaver said. “If I as a chef am only willing to buy cod, then I’ve created a situation where pollock needs to become cod,” Seaver said. Some restaurants are okay with buying the “flaky white fish of the day” and labeling it “cod,” Seaver added.

Read the full story at Seafood Source