FURTHER INFORMATION
“Fish are the single most traded food commodity, providing food and nutrition to many, and jobs and incomes to over half of the global population...”
UNCTAD (2016). Sustainable Fisheries: International Trade, Trade Policy and Regulatory Issues.
“Fish and fish products (fish for human consumption and fishmeal) are amongst the most traded food items in the world.”
OECD/FAO (2019). OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2019–2028.
FAO Technical Paper 742 (2026) provides critical data points, frameworks and strategic insights that highlight why consumers must be central to the future of seafood policy and regulation.
1. Key Data Points and Baselines
- Global Prevalence: While a formal global estimate is difficult, empirical evidence suggests that approximately 20% of the US$195 billion global seafood trade may be subject to fraud.
- Comparison to Other Sectors: The probability of fraud in fisheries (20.6%) is significantly higher than in meat (13.4%) or fruits and vegetables (10.4%).
- Channel Vulnerability: Mislabelling rates are substantially higher in restaurants and mass catering (up to 30%) compared with retail settings.
- Species Complexity: The seafood sector deals with more than 12,000 species, making visual identification nearly impossible once products are processed.
2. Economic Incentive Models
The report provides specific “profit per kilogram” metrics that illustrate the financial drivers of seafood fraud:
- Wild vs. Farmed: Selling farmed Atlantic salmon as wild Pacific salmon can yield a profit of approximately US$10 (EUR 9) per kilogram.
- Tuna Substitution: Substituting yellowfin tuna for Atlantic bluefin or bigeye tuna can generate a profit of roughly US$11 (EUR 10) per kilogram.
- Geographical Origin: Farmed seabass marketed as Italian can sell for double or triple the price of identical fish produced in Greece or Turkey.
3. Expanded Taxonomy of Fraud
The report moves beyond simple “mislabelling” and defines nine distinct categories of fraud, providing a stronger framework for risk assessment:
- Adulteration: Adding substances (e.g., carbon monoxide to tuna to enhance colour).
- Simulation: Creating imitation products (e.g., surimi packaged and sold as crab meat).
- Diversion: Distributing legitimate products outside intended or authorised markets.
- Overrun: Selling over-quota catch outside regulated channels.
- Other categories: Counterfeit, misbranding, species substitution, tampering and theft.
While the report reflects global activity, seafood fraud is not confined to any single country. Australia is not immune. This is not acceptable.
Our mission is to identify practical solutions that ensure consumers are not defrauded and that governance systems properly protect the public interest. Consumers must be placed at the centre of seafood policy, trade and regulatory decision-making.