Is that Albacore in your sashimi bowl? Or could it be Escolar?
If you think you are eating salmon you could be – or not. According to a recent study published by Oceana on average 33% of all fish in the US is mislabeled. But if you live in Pennsylvania that number could be as high as 56%. See how your state stacks up here.
In an age when 90% of the fish Americans consume is imported and less that 1% of that fish is inspected for fraud it is nearly impossible to know what exactly we are consuming.
Why are bogus bass and shady shrimp a problem? Because mislabeling hurts consumers and legitimate fish sellers alike.
Consumers have a right to know what they are eating and honest fishers have a right to be fairly compensated for their catch. Most often cheap, low quality, farmed fish is substituted for wild. And fish that can cause serious health problems is served in place of safe fish.
But a bipartisan group of legislators in Washington state are cracking down on the problem. SHB 1200, sponsored by Representative Brian Blake was signed by Governor Inslee yesterday.
SHB 1200 will allow authorities to weed out those who knowingly mislabel fish or sell mislabeled fish through widening and toughening of criminal penalties. The bill also instructs the WSDA and the WDFW to develop and implement definitions and identification standards for species of fish and shellfish. And for businesses who want to provide properly labeled fish to their consumers the WSDA will develop an electronic pamphlet that describes the seafood labeling requirements. Read more about this measure here.
To learn more about this nationwide problem read this story. To get a list of businesses that have taken a pledge not to sell mislabeled fish see here.