An impediment to consumer choice: Overfished species are sold as Pacific red snapper

Abstract

Concern over the collapse of many wild-caught fisheries has led to a recent focus on seafood-certification and consumer-driven support of sustainable seafood. However, such conservation strategies depend critically on the accurate labeling of seafood species in marketplaces. Pacific rockfish, a group of >60 species in the genus Sebastes, are often marketed as Pacific red snapper, but little is known about the number and identity of rockfish species sold under this name. We used a molecular approach to identify species sold as Pacific red snapper by grocery chains, local fish markets, and sushi restaurants in California and Washington. Using genetic data from two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome- b and control region), we identified seven species of rockfish ( Sebastes spp.), tilapia ( Oreochromis spp.), and one true red snapper ( Lutjanus campechanus) in our samples. Among samples identified as rockfish, 56% were identified as species listed as overfished by the National Marine Fisheries Service within the past three years. By effectively permitting all species of rockfish to be sold under a common vernacular name, state and federal agencies compromise the ability of consumers to make informed choices when buying seafood.