Names are important, especially when it comes to what's on our dinner plates. When you order a hamburger, you know you should be getting a specific species, Bos Taurus, or the domestic cow. Just as many animals on land have a scientific name, a common name and sometimes even a colloquial nickname, the same is true for many species of seafood that we consume on a regular basis. But in the case of seafood, the distinction is far more important than a simple turn of phrase. For example, when you buy "grouper," you may actually be buying one of 64 different species that are all allowed to be sold as grouper, according to current Food and Drug Administration rules. In a new analysis released last week, Oceana urged the federal government to require species-specific names of all seafood sold in the U.S. This is one essential element of the information needed for effective traceability of seafood, including tracking the "who, what, where and how" of seafood as it travels from capture or harvest to consumption--all the way from boat to plate.
As consumers grow more interested in where their food comes from, the current naming system for seafood in this country can stymie efforts to eat sustainably. To return to the grouper example for a moment: certain types of grouper are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), while other species have better-managed populations. A consumer who orders a simple grouper sandwich could have no idea of whether the fish they're eating is more sustainably fished or is actually at risk of extinction. Conservation issues aside, the current ambiguous naming system can also impact your health. For instance, the FDA advises women of child-bearing age and other sensitive populations to avoid consumption of king mackerel due to high levels of mercury, yet this species can be legally sold as "Spanish mackerel," robbing consumers of the information they need to heed the government's advice. Ambiguous seafood names can also mean you are paying a premium for a type of seafood that may not be what it appears: if you are in the Gulf of Mexico region and order "shrimp," most people expect to be paying for local, gulf-caught shrimp. In fact, you may end up eating farmed shrimp from halfway around the world. If farmed shrimp species and wild domestic shrimp were actually labeled with their species names, it would allow consumers to know what shrimp they are actually buying.
Using a species-specific name for all seafood in the U.S., as an essential part of a robust seafood traceability system, would also help fight issues like seafood fraud and illegal fishing. Currently the FDA allows many species of seafood to be sold under the same "acceptable market name." This vague, but legal, labeling carries some of the same health and conservation risks that illegal mislabeling of seafood carries. Between 2010 and 2015 Oceana tested thousands of samples of fish, shrimp, crabs and other seafood in retail markets and restaurants across the US. On average, one-third of the samples examined in these studies were mislabeled--the product listed on the label or menu was different than what the buyer thought they purchased, often a less desirable or lower-priced species. Oceana testing found threatened species being sold as sustainable ones, expensive seafood replaced with cheaper alternatives and safe fish substituted with those that can make you or someone else sick.
The government is starting to combat illegal fishing and seafood fraud but more needs to be done. In June 2014, President Obama created the Task Force on Combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud. This spring, the task force issued recommendations and an action plan to address these problems. Oceana strongly encourages the task force to take a comprehensive approach to addressing these issues, including requiring traceability for all seafood sold in the U.S. Requiring that species names and other key information remain with seafood throughout the long complex supply chain is an essential part of a truly traceable system that gives consumers the power to be sure that they are actually getting the fish they are trying to buy.
After all, Americans have a right to know the seafood they eat, is safe, legally caught and honestly labeled.