Have you ever wondered if the fish sandwich you’re eating is actually the grouper you ordered and not some other type of fish that you overpaid for?

Labeling seafood appropriately is important for safety and consumption, and protecting the livelihood of domestic fishermen.

Kathy Moore, biologist at the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research told WaterWideWeb, “We want to ensure that these species are well protected and that fisheries are protected from overharvest. If we don’t, we won’t be eating seafood for long. Fishery stocks might collapse.”

In the laboratory, Moore and other marine forensic scientists test samples of fish to confirm their  identity. Recently, Moore’s team was active in a case involving farmed Vietnamese catfish that was being substituted for grouper.

Moore’s team used DNA markers and other tests to confim that catfish was being brought into the US illegally, and sold as grouper. Moreover, the catfish was being sold below market value and depressing the value of grouper. American  fishermen could not compete with the lowered prices. Not to mention, consumer fraud was a major element in the case that proved Vietnamese catfish was being sold illegally.

“If it’s not labeled as catfish, it doesn’t go through the same testing as properly labeled catfish does.  They may contain certain chemicals that the U.S. has banned. It’s a food safety issue,” continued Moore.

Mislabeled seafood in the US is not uncommon. The work of Moore’s team and other marine forensic experts protect the income of local fish farmers,  the health of seafood consumers, and uphold enforcement of marine law violations.

“We’re not helping the resource or the domestic fishermen that play by the rules if we’re letting mislabeled seafood get into the market,” Moore concluded. Distinguishing fish can be difficult especially after it has been filleted and altered. So, scientists are advancing techniques to do so.

Mislabeled seafood is far more serious than spending a few extra dollars on a sandwich, though  every dollar counts with the recovering economic crisis. Knowing that one gets what one pays for, in terms of quality and consumer satisfaction, are at stake.

The photo above was provided by Kathy Moore

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