GNV News, March 18, 2026

Fraudulent practices are rampant in the global seafood and aquaculture markets, with up to 20% of products being falsely labeled. This reality was revealed in a report released on February 10, 2026, by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The victims are consumers and fishers, and the report calls on government agencies and others to build systems to track the sources of fraud (traceability) and to introduce advanced fraud detection methods.

According to the report, global capture fisheries and aquaculture produced more than 185 million tons in 2022, worth nearly 200 billion US dollars. As the sector has become a huge market, it has become increasingly vulnerable to fraudulent practices. Typical examples include species substitution, mislabeling, adulteration, and counterfeiting. As factors behind the spread of fraud, the report cites not only the complexity of the industry but also the vast number of species—more than 12,000—and the involvement of multiple inspection bodies across international supply chains.

According to the conservation media outlet Mongabay, the report notes that such practices endanger threatened species, contribute to stock declines through overfishing, and lead to biodiversity loss. There are already cases where fish caught after quotas have been reached are disguised and sold, further depleting populations.

Fish that are illegally substituted may also be harmful to human health and pose potential risks. According to the FAO, aquaculture in regions with inadequate regulation may involve the use of antimicrobial agents that are harmful to humans.

As countermeasures, the report stresses the need for “stringent enforcement, advanced analytical tools, collaboration among stakeholders, and coordinated efforts in public education.”

Meanwhile, according to Mongabay, the campaign director of the marine conservation NGO Oceana argues that government efforts on traceability will be key. One effective measure is the “Seafood Import Monitoring Program,” which came into force in the United States in 2018. It is one of the few initiatives in the world that requires the submission and auditing of catch documentation when importing specific seafood products. In 2024, the US announced an action plan to expand the range of covered species and strengthen the program, but as of now it has not been fully implemented.

Learn more about issues in fisheries → “Are the media hearing the SOS from the fish?”

Learn more about ocean issues → “‘The Ocean Decade’: Are the media capturing global developments?”

Learn more about human rights issues at sea → “Human rights abuses at sea”

Catch on a fishing vessel, South Africa (Photo: Zatoka33 / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 4.0])