Fight Seafood Fraud

In one of the largest investigations of seafood fraud to date, Oceana recently uncovered that seafood mislabeling is a significant, nationwide problem. DNA testing found that one-third of the 1,215 seafood samples analyzed nationwide were mislabeled according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. In some cases, the rates of fraud were much higher. This means you could be feeding your family unhealthy, illegal, unsustainable fish and not even know it.

The US Senate is currently considering two bills that fight mislabeling and prosecute illegal fishing. This is a great step in the right direction for the health of our families, our wallets, and our oceans - and your Senators need to know where you stand.

Take action for the health of your family and the oceans. Tell your Senators to fight seafood fraud and illegal fishing TODAY.

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Dear Senator,

Seafood is one of the most popular foods in the U.S., yet consumers often have little or no information about what they are eating and where it came from. Moreover, the information that is provided on seafood labels is often inaccurate or fraudulent. Without adequate controls, consumers may unknowingly eat fraudulent – and often illegally-caught – seafood. To protect consumers and honest U.S. fishermen, I ask that you cosponsor the Pirate Fishing Elimination Act (S. 267) and the International Fisheries Stewardship and Enforcement Act (S. 269), two bills that will help keep illegally-caught fish out of the marketplace by strengthening enforcement against illegal fishing and prohibiting the mislabeling of seafood.

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, or “pirate fishing,” is a serious and pervasive problem that is a major cause of fisheries depletion worldwide. Recent estimates suggest that up to 40% of global catch is illegal, meaning the fish were caught in violation of management and conservation laws. While the U.S. imports more than 90% of seafood for domestic consumption, the Food and Drug Administration only inspects about 2% at the border and less than 1% specifically for fraud. With few controls, IUU products can flood the American market, are often deliberately mislabeled, and are largely untraceable. This influx of illegal product not only affects the health and well-being of American consumers who are expecting to get the seafood they paid for; it also directly impacts American fishermen who are already struggling to compete in an import-heavy market. Without adequate enforcement against IUU activity and seafood mislabeling, consumers, honest fishermen, and our oceans all suffer.

The federal government has the authority to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud, yet its current efforts are woefully inadequate. It needs to take a more proactive approach to fighting illegal fishing and keeping illegal fish out of the U.S. market.

The Senate is currently considering two bills that will help address these problems. S. 267, the Pirate Fishing Elimination Act will help keep illegal seafood out of our markets by giving the U.S. authority to deny port entry to foreign vessels that have engaged in or are suspected of engaging in illegal fishing activities. S. 269, the International Fisheries Stewardship and Enforcement Act, will strengthen enforcement against violations of already-existing international fisheries laws, better coordinate international efforts to identify and track illegal fishing vessels, and prohibit the mislabeling of seafood products. Both of these bills will help deter IUU fishing activity and reduce the market for illegally-caught seafood.

The U.S. must take additional steps to stop illegal fishing and ensure that consumers get safe, legally-caught, and honestly-labeled seafood. Please cosponsor S. 267 and S. 269 today.

Oceana | Protecting the World's Oceans

Fight Seafood Fraud