It’s no secret that seafood fraud is rampant. Industry continually calls on regulatory bodies – including the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the US Food & Drug Administration – to step up seafood inspections and hold suppliers and importers accountable. And yet, change has been slow within these bureaucratic organizations and dishonest companies continue to get away with deception. How can we create momentum in the fight against fraud? We need a catalyst - and that catalyst is the general public.

That’s right – people actually buying seafood from retailers and consuming it at restaurants are the answer to our problems. I bet if we were to ask a stranger on the street what they knew about “species substitution” or “short net weights”, a look of confusion would cross their face. The fact of the matter is that while it is not uncommon for various seafood media outlets – such as SeafoodSource, Intrafish, SeafoodNews  - to report on seafood fraud, these stories rarely reach end-consumers. For instance, how often do stories about companies and individuals indicted for seafood fraud make the front page of major newspapers or the seven o’clock news?

We applaud recent efforts made by Oceana with their “Bait & Switch Report” which was picked up by many prominent US newspapers, including the New York Times and Washington Post. These are the types of initiatives that are needed to create momentum and political influence within regulatory bodies.

Oceana is an international organization that works to protect the world’s oceans. At first glance, this initiative to combat seafood fraud may seem out of the scope of their mission. Or is it? Companies engaging in fraudulent economic behaviors are likely sacrificing other parts of their business to increase margins. In fact, we think Oceana is right on track in thinking that economic and environmental issues are intertwined. Isn’t it the concept of a triple bottom line? Right now, in terms of the people – planet – profit principle, many seafood companies are focused solely on profit – which can only be done at the expense of the other two pillars.

In today’s global economic climate, it is less enticing than ever for businesses to sacrifice profits for the betterment of the industry’s reputation. Companies will only alter their practices and create a level playing field when consumers demand it. Which is why consumers hold the key to eliminating deception.

Exposure in traditional and online media outlets is good, but what is really needed is point-of-sale education. That’s right, we are talking about retailers and restaurants believing in the cause and being equipped to raise awareness on why their Sockeye is priced $2.00/lb more that the Sockeye offered across the street.

So what are the next steps? How do we get point-of-sale players on board with fighting seafood fraud? First, industry groups, such as the Better Seafood Board, already exist to stamp out fraud. These organizations should consider pooling resources to create strategic plans for engaging distributors and ultimately educating end-consumers.

Secondly, environmental organizations hold a great degree of clout with consumers and many have already established partnerships with retailers and distributors. An opportunity exists for NGOs to follow Oceana’s lead and promote economic and environmental integrity at the point-of-sale level.

And thirdly, public awareness and education may be the catalyst, but enforcing stricter regulatory standards are still crucial to creating lasting change.  Continuing to lobby regulatory organizations, not only in North American – but, around the world is needed.