CHANCES ARE YOU AREN’T EATING THE FISH YOU THINK YOU ARE

According to a new report from the ocean conservation advocacy group Oceana, one in five of over 25,000 samples of seafood tested globally was mislabeled. The group looked at 200 studies from 55 countries and found evidence of seafood fraud throughout supply chains worldwide. In the United States alone, the researchers found an average seafood fraud rate of nearly 30%. The report authors highlight some country-specific offenses:
– In Italy, for example, 82% of the 200 samples of grouper, perch and swordfish that were tested were mislabeled and close to half of the substituted fish were types of fish that are at risk for extinction.
– A study of Brussels restaurants found 98% of 69 bluefin tuna dishes tested were a different kind of fish.
– In a Santa Monica, California restaurant, two sushi chefs were found to be selling whale meat as tuna.
– Asian catfish was found to be the type of fish most often sold as a different, higher value type of fish, the report shows. The study found that Asian catfish was sold as 18 different types of fish.
* So, what they’re trying to say is, there’s something fishy going on.
* Oh, I’m sure there’s a small percentage of fraud … wait, did it really say 98% in Italy?
* This could explain why I keep finding fish bones in my clams.
* These problems could all be solved with a simple tabletop fish-DNA testing machine.
* Want to be sure you’re getting what you pay for? Stick with shrimp. There are very few criminals willing to take the time to carve other fish pieces into the shape of shrimp.
* How about the touchy-feely types in Santa Monica who just found out they’ve been eating whale meat?
* Relax, the oceans are so overfished this shouldn’t be a problem much longer.
* I say as long as they’re not using horse meat in burgers we should be okay.
* Seafood fraud. Sure, why shouldn’t it be like everything else out there?
* Nemo wept.