EU fishing industry group Europêche has issued a warning to consumers to beware of possible fraudulent labeling on canned and pouched tuna that claims the tuna was caught without use of Fish Aggregating Devices, or FADs.
The group, in a statement, alleged that some tuna products were labeled falsely as being “FAD-free.” The group cited European Parliament data that shows most tuna stocks worldwide are at healthy levels, and “a high proportion (more than 65 percent)” of tuna coming from healthy stocks are fished using FADs.
Europêche, however, did not mention any tuna company by name, nor did it provide any evidence that anyone has lied about use of FADs. The group did, however, caution consumers not to trust FAD-free claims from any company that has not had its labeling verified independently.
“International fishing fleets must be strictly controlled and monitored across the entire supply chain,” said Javier Garat, President of Europêche. “Therefore, Europêche advises that FAD-Free tuna should be only purchased from independently certified systems with a proper and transparent chain of custody in place.”
FADs consist of objects suspended in the water, using buoys and weights, which attract schooling fish, making it easier for fishermen to catch them. Environmental activists have long protested the use of FADs as making it too easy for fishermen to deplete fish stocks.
