POLL REVEALS CONSUMERS WANT MOST INFO ON PROCESSED SEAFOOD

Poll reveals consumers want most info on processed seafood. A new Oceana poll reveals that 84% of citizens from Belgium, France, Spain and Cyprus, demand expanded consumer information on processed seafood, such as canned tuna, fish fingers or surimi. Whereas information requirements are strong for fresh and frozen seafood, EU consumers are left in the dark when it comes to processed products or when they order seafood in restaurants. The countries analysed are part of the ten biggest EU consumers of seafood products.

82,5% of consumers interviewed in the four Member States consider it important to have more information on the origin of the seafood they eat. 87% of respondents highlighted knowing more about the species used in processed seafood as important, whereas 82% would like to know how these products were caught, that is, the fishing gear used. Having this basic information would allow people to make sustainable and informed choices when buying seafood, including at restaurants and mass caterers, establishments that are currently exempted from providing basic information such as the species, origin and catch method for seafood products.

The director of Oceana’s illegal fishing and transparency campaign in Europe, Vanya Vulperhorst said:

“Consumers have spoken, and the numbers show that they want to know more about the fish they eat. Understanding the origin, species and catch method  of the seafood we consume is crucial for making informed choices. This allows people to avoid overfished stocks, or products associated with illegal activities, unsustainable environmental practices and unethical working conditions. We call on the European Commission to listen to citizens and require more information on processed seafood products in the EU market.”

When purchasing seafood, consumers are also interested in knowing the associated environmental impacts of their seafood. 79% of interviewees consider it important to know if the fish they eat is overexploited or not, and 81% want to have information on the impact of the fishing method on the marine environment and the bycatch risk of protected species like turtles or dolphins.

Oceana therefore urges the Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, and the European Commission to prioritise revising the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation, the law that sets fishery and aquaculture consumer information requirements to:

• Expand its scope to include processed seafood products. Basic information such as species, origin, fishing gear, the country of registration of the fishing vessel, and production method should be required for all products.

• Require science-based sustainability information to be displayed on all seafood products. There is currently no EU-wide requirement to provide sustainability information on these products, such as the status of the stock, which makes it difficult for consumers to identify sustainable products based on clear and objective criteria.

• Expand its scope to include the food service sector. Mass-caterers, hotels, and restaurants should be required to provide information on species, origin, fishing gear, and production method to customers. Under EU law, the food service sector only needs to provide information on allergens.

Last month, Oceana released a report that analysed more than 180 seafood products in different European supermarkets. The analysis found that for almost 40% of the analysed processed seafood products in Belgium, France and Spain, it is impossible to know the species, the origin and the fishing gear used. To address this, Oceana has created the Follow the Fish movement which calls for consumer information for all seafood products.

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