As rising tariffs and trade tensions with the U.S. drive more Canadians to seek local products, SeaChoice says that those looking to buy Canadian seafood are being left in the dark by confusing labels – meaning that consumers, and by extent Canadian seafood producers, could be missing out.
“Right now, people are making conscious choices to buy Canadian,” says Christina Callegari, Senior Coordinator, Marine Programs with the Ecology Action Centre (a founding member of SeaChoice). “But when it comes to seafood, the information needed to make an informed decision often isn’t there.”
Current Canadian laws require imported seafood to be labelled according to where it was processed, not where it was caught or farmed. Moreover, products that are caught or processed in Canada are not required to be labelled as Canadian at all.
“For example, fish caught in Canada, processed in China and shipped back to Canada (which does happen) will appear on the shelf with a ‘Product of China’ label,” says Callegari. “Or, there could be several types of white fish or tuna at your local fresh counter, but there’s no required label to show which are caught by Canadian fishers, which are caught overseas or even what species they are. This makes it difficult for consumers to ensure they’re buying Canadian seafood in their grocery stores.”
With consumers unable to distinguish local product from an imported source, Canadian fishers and seafarmers could be losing out on much needed support.
“People want to buy local and support domestic producers,” says Callegari. “But without clear labelling and transparency, consumers cannot be sure what they are really buying. It’s incredibly frustrating to see.”
Beyond information on where the product was caught or farmed, SeaChoice says that proper labeling must also include the species name (both common and scientific) to prevent misrepresentation, and the fishing or farming method to ensure transparency about impacts on the ocean ecosystem.
“It’s essential that labeling information follows seafood through each step of the value chain,” says Callegari. “With stronger labelling and traceability, Canadians can confidently choose local, sustainable and ethically sourced seafood, ensuring their money supports domestic producers, workers and the health of our oceans.”
Background
Founded in 2006, SeaChoice is a collaborative initiative of the David Suzuki Foundation, the Ecology Action Centre and Living Oceans Society. Our mission is to ensure seafood on in our marketplace is sustainable through consumer empowerment, industry engagement and government accountability.
Additional information
While the government allows companies to voluntarily claim Canadian origin for any product produced and/or processed in Canada, consumers unfamiliar with the specific definitions of these voluntary claims may be misled. A “Product of Canada” label means that at least 98 per cent of the ingredients, processing and labour used to make the food product are Canadian. However, a “Made in Canada” label means that only the last substantial transformation – usually processing – occurred in Canada. This means seafood could be imported from another country but has a “Made in Canada” claim. The “Made in Canada” claim must also specify if the ingredients are from imported or domestic sources, but the specific origin is not required. Find out more at seachoice.org/is-your-seafood-canadian-making-sense-of-origin-labels/
