The ‘Follow the Fish’ movement is calling on the European Commission to require essential consumer information, including species, fishing location, flag state, and fishing method, for all seafood products, regardless of how they are processed or where they are sold.
During a meeting with EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, a diverse delegation of stakeholders, including members of Follow the Fish and MEPs, called for a revision of the Common Market Organisation (CMO) Regulation, which establishes consumer information requirements for seafood products.
“People have a right to know more about the seafood they buy, including where it comes from and how it was caught or produced. Transparency on origin, production methods, and the catching nation is paramount to helping consumers make informed choices. It also rewards businesses that fish legally, invest in sustainable practices and comply with stronger standards. To ensure this information reaches consumers and to keep illegal and unsustainable seafood off the EU market, robust traceability and consumer information requirements must apply to all seafood products”
,says Oceana Head of Campaigns in Europe, Vanya Vulperhorst.
While consumers purchasing fresh and frozen seafood that are whole or filleted have access to comprehensive information, those buying processed products are often in the dark about the fish they consume. Some essential information is not currently required on products such as canned tuna, fish fingers, and ready-made seafood meals, including those served in restaurants.
“It makes no sense that consumers have the right to know where fresh fish comes from and how it was caught but lose that right when the same fish ends up in a can. At Fish Tales, we have always made full traceability and transparency a priority, showing that it is possible to give consumers this information. We strongly believe everyone should be able to know what they are buying, to make the right, informed decisions. It’s time for EU legislation to set that same standard across the industry”, says Bart van Olphen, founder of Fish Tales.
A revision of the CMO to enhance transparency is particularly timely, as the European Commission is expected to unveil its Vision 2040 for Fisheries and Aquaculture this autumn. Seafood transparency must be central to that agenda to ensure consumers can make informed choices and that seafood products can be traced throughout the supply chain.
The Follow the Fish movement brings together almost forty key players, including chefs, members of the European Parliament, restaurants, seafood businesses, wholesalers, producer organisations, consumer associations, and NGOs, all asking for robust consumer information on seafood products.
