Courtesy of NFI:
NFI has learned that the activist group Oceana has released a new “fish fraud” report titled “Deceptive Dishes: Seafood Swaps Found Worldwide.” In the report the group claims at least 20% of seafood globally is mislabeled and calls for new and increased regulation on seafood to address these findings.
NFI continues to make it clear to policy makers, regulators and the media that mislabeling is fraud and fraud is illegal, period. We emphasize that NFI members are required to be members of the Better Seafood Board, the only seafood industry-led economic integrity effort. And NFI Member Companies are at the forefront of eliminating fish fraud.
NFI strongly disagrees with the notion that Oceana’s findings show that at 20% of all global seafood is mislabeled. Oceana’s focus on the most often mislabeled species distorts their findings by design. It is a common technique which Oceana’s uses to promote fear and mistrust among the readers of their reports.
Oceana’s continued focus on expanded regulation illustrates a fundamental lack of understanding when it comes to fish fraud and what works in policing it. The laws, rules and regulations we need are already on the books. This is an issue of enforcement. Investigation and prosecution is the answer, not more laws. Oceana would do much more in helping to eliminate seafood fraud if it focused on lobbying for greater enforcement rather than a misguided effort to expand regulatory bureaucracy.
For those of you who might be contacted by the media for comment on this issue please feel free to refer press calls directly to NFI; Gavin Gibbons 703.752.8891 ggibbons@nfi.org or Lynsee Fowler 703.7528899 lfower@nfi.org.
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