Report | September 19, 2024
Fishy labels: What do we know about the seafood we buy in supermarkets?
The European Union (EU) is one of the three largest seafood markets in the world. With imports representing 70% of all seafood consumed in the EU,1 it has one of the strongest legal frameworks globally to prevent illegally caught seafood from entering its market. Traceability requirements for fresh, frozen and smoked seafood products within the EU are also very strong, requiring key information such as species name, origin, catching method and production method to be passed along the supply chain all the way to consumers.
In contrast to fresh seafood, traceability requirements for processed products like canned tuna and fish fingers remain weak. This is a significant problem, as these products are very popular in the EU. For example, in 2021, 93% of French households bought canned seafood products.2 Processed seafood represents 22% of fishery and aquaculture products consumed in the EU. 1 According to a 2021 Eurobarometer survey on consumption habits, nearly one third of respondents eat tinned fishery and aquaculture products once or twice per month.3 Certain popular processed products, particularly shrimps, prawns, and tuna, are of particular concern for traceability, because they have a higher risk of being associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing or human rights violations.

