‘Follow the Fish’ calls on EU Commissioner Kadis to make consumer information mandatory for all seafood products
EU citizens lack access to basic information on species and origin of processed seafood, such as canned tuna and fish fingers
Press Release Date: September 3, 2026
Location: Brussels
Contact:
Irene Campmany | email: icampmany@oceana.org | tel.: +34 682 622 245
EU citizens lack access to basic information on species and origin of processed seafood, such as canned tuna and fish fingers
Stakeholders ask the EU to revise the regulation that establishes consumer information requirements for seafood
The ‘Follow the Fish’ movement is calling on the European Commission to require essential consumer information, including species, fishing location, flag state, and fishing method, for all seafood products, regardless of how they are processed or where they are sold. During a meeting with EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, a diverse delegation of stakeholders, including members of Follow the Fish and MEPs, called for a revision of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation, which establishes consumer information requirements for seafood products.
“People have a right to know more about the seafood they buy, including where it comes from and how it was caught or produced. Transparency on the origin, production methods and catching nation is paramount to helping consumers make informed choices. It also rewards businesses that fish legally, invest in sustainable practices and comply with stronger standards. To ensure this information reaches consumers and to keep illegal and unsustainable seafood off the EU market, robust traceability and consumer information requirements must apply to all seafood products”, says Oceana Head of Campaigns in Europe, Vanya Vulperhorst.
While consumers purchasing fresh and frozen seafood that are whole or filleted have access to comprehensive information, those buying processed products are often in the dark about the fish they consume. Some essential information is not currently required on products such as canned tuna, fish fingers, and ready-made seafood meals, including those served in restaurants.
“It makes no sense that consumers have the right to know where fresh fish comes from and how it was caught, but lose that right when the same fish ends up in a can. At Fish Tales, we have always made full traceability and transparency a priority, showing that it is possible to give consumers this information. We strongly believe everyone should be able to know what they are buying, to make the right, informed decisions. It’s time for EU legislation to set that same standard across the industry”, says Bart van Olphen, founder of Fish Tales.
A revision of the CMO to enhance transparency is particularly timely, as the European Commission is expected to unveil its Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture this autumn. Seafood transparency must be a central element of that agenda to ensure consumers can make informed choices and that seafood products can be traced throughout the supply chain.
The Follow the Fish movement brings together almost forty key players, such as chefs, members of the European Parliament, restaurants, seafood businesses, wholesalers, producer organisations, consumer associations and NGOs who are all asking for robust consumer information on seafood products.
Notes to editors
- Learn more about the Follow the Fish movement: Follow the Fish statement.
- The EU Regulation on the Common Market Organisation for seafood establishes the requirements for consumer information. To close the transparency gap and protect consumers and ethical producers, Oceana calls for the Regulation to be amended to ensure:
- Mandatory basic information (species, origin, fishing gear, production method) for all seafood products, including prepared and preserved items.
- Labelling requirements for the food service sector, including restaurants, hotels, and mass caterers.
- Flag State disclosure for wild-caught seafood, identifying the country of registration of the fishing vessel.
- In 2024, the EU Fisheries Control Regulation was adopted, which includes the commitment to require traceability of preserved and prepared products by January 2029. At the meeting, members of the Follow the Fish movement called on the European Commission to put in place robust traceability for preserved and prepared products in upcoming secondary law, also called a delegated act.
