Eco-labelled fish may be unsustainably fished, or the wrong species

ByEd Yong
August 22, 2011

The Chilean seabass is no stranger to being mislabelled. It bears little relation to the various fish that are also known as basses, and it’s more properly referred to as the Patagonian toothfish (a name that is presumably more difficult to market). But the confusion doesn’t end there. While the toothfish is the target for illegal and unsustainable fishing operations, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has certified one fishery as being sustainable. It’s found around the island of South Georgia near the tip of South America.

But some products marked as certified toothfish don’t come from this fishery. Some aren’t even toothfish at all.

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