Chances are, you’ve consumed a seafood dinner that wasn’t all it claimed to be. The fish on your dinner plate may have led a more complicated life than most international spies. Before sizzling in your skillet or getting tucked into your tacos, it could have crossed oceans, swapped identities more than once, and passed through a cast of middlemen who couldn’t tell a grouper from a goldfish.
By the time it reaches your fork, even expert seafood sleuths might struggle to say where it came from, or if it was caught legally at all. Recent investigations have shown that the fish in your favorite restaurant or grocery store — like Gulf of Mexico shrimp or red snapper — may be mislabeled.
Seafood fraud is a surprisingly common problem, and it’s not just about a few mislabeled fillets. Some substitutions are economic scams that lead customers to pay premium prices for cheaper fish alternatives. Others are more serious: mislabeled fish can expose consumers to allergens, toxins, or even endangered species. For example, escolar, a fish often passed off as tuna or cod, is infamous for causing digestive distress. At the same time, seafood, if not properly handled, can make you sick. Around 260,000 people get sick from contaminated fish each year in the United States alone, with fish being the most common category of food responsible for foodborne illness outbreaks.
Part of the problem is that seafood supply chains are long, winding, and largely invisible to the average consumer. Fish can be caught in one country, processed in another, packaged in a third, and shipped halfway across the world before it ever hits a grocery shelf. Once it’s skinned, filleted, and frozen, most of the fish’s identifying features are gone. Unless you’re prepared to do a DNA test on your dinner, there’s no easy way to tell whether you’re getting what you paid for.
These murky supply chains don’t just enable mislabeling, they create an opportunity for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing operations to thrive. Unscrupulous actors can mix illegally caught fish, including those from protected areas or caught using forced labor, into the legitimate supply with little risk of getting caught. This opens the door to widespread seafood fraud, where species are intentionally misrepresented to boost profits or evade trade restrictions. Without robust traceability requirements, it becomes nearly impossible to verify where, how, and by whom a fish was caught. This lack of accountability puts consumers at risk, undermines sustainable fisheries, threatens marine ecosystems, and puts ethical producers at a disadvantage.
Still, all hope is not lost. Around the world, major markets are developing new regulations and technologies, like digital traceability systems; access to Wi-Fi for fishers; electronic monitoring; and vessel tracking to bring more transparency to the industry. DNA testing is also becoming more accessible and accurate. But policy changes take time, and in the meantime, there are things you can do to make a difference.
Start by asking questions. Before you place an order or drop a filet into your cart, ask the waiter or person behind the counter: “Where is this fish from?” or “Is it wild or farmed?” If the seller can’t answer, consider choosing something else. Stick to trusted retailers and restaurants that prioritize traceability.
Yes, your fish might be fraudulent. But the tide is turning. As consumers grow more informed and vocal, pressure is mounting on the seafood industry to clean up its act, too. The more we demand transparency and traceability, the harder it becomes for illegal fishers and seafood fraudsters to operate in the dark. Until then, a little skepticism, and some smart shopping, can help ensure your next seafood dinner is the real deal.
Dr. Max Valentine
Campaign Director and Senior Scientist
Dr. Marla “Max” Valentine is the campaign director and senior scientist for Oceana’s illegal fishing and transparency campaign in the United States. Dr. Valentine has 15 years of research experience that she uses to lead Oceana’s efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by expanding transparency in fishing and traceability in the global fishing industry.
