Fishing for Canadian seafood at the grocery store? Labels may not tell the whole story
Fish caught in Canadian waters but processed elsewhere could be labelled an international product
A trade war with the United States and China has spurred many Canadians to buy local, but seafood lovers looking for truly made-in-Canada options may find reading grocery store labels challenging.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency requires seafood to be labelled according to where it was processed, not where it was caught or farmed, meaning fish from Canadian waters could be labelled as an international product.
"Because seafood is such a global commodity and has a very complex supply chain, you're often not going to see a product that is both caught and processed in the same country," said Christina Callegari, senior co-ordinator for marine programs at the Ecology Action Centre, in a recent interview on CBC Radio's Information Morning Halifax.
"Often times, seafood gets shipped off to China to be processed and then can be sent back to Canada ... and then it gets labelled as a product of China."
Callegari added that federal regulations for "Made In Canada" and "Product Of Canada" labels have different standards, so she recommends consumers looking to buy Canadian seafood stick with the latter label.
"If you have a label that says 'Product Of Canada,' the guidance suggest that that should be a product that is both caught and farmed and processed in Canada," she said. "But again, this is also only voluntary, so industry doesn't actually need to put this on a label."
Callegari is also a member of SeaChoice, a collaboration between the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Living Oceans Society that advocates for sustainability and traceability throughout the seafood supply chain.
Recently, Callegari attended the Seafood Expo North America in Boston, where she said much of the chatter was around tariffs from China and the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed 25 per cent tariffs on some Canadian goods, ostensibly to spur action on fentanyl and migrants at the northern border. A 25 per cent levy on steel and aluminum imports was later tacked on, with additional retaliatory tariffs expected April 2 that will target seafood, among other Canadian exports.
Meanwhile, China slapped a 25 per cent tariff on multiple Canadian seafood products on March 20 in retaliation for levies Canada brought in October on steel, aluminum and electric vehicles. The list of over 40 Canadian products facing the tariff includes lobster, crab, shrimp and halibut.
Go to the source
Callegari encourages consumers who want to know where their seafood came from and where it was processed go to fishmongers, markets or to fishers directly to buy their products.
"Being able to physically talk to the person and have them describe to you where it was caught, how it was caught and what species it is, is a really great way to try to support local and make sure that that product is coming from where you want it to come from," she said.
SeaChoice has been calling for improved labelling that would specify not only where but how the product was caught or farmed and processed, as well as the scientific name of the species.
Callegari said the European Union, which requires that information on the majority of its seafood, is the "gold standard" for labelling regulations and Canada should follow its boat-to-plate model.
"On the consumer side, if you're looking for a sustainable product, it's really important to know these criteria because it can help you make a decision," she said.
"On the industry side, it can be helpful because of course if you're wanting to make people know that your product is Canadian or it is from Nova Scotia, having that on a label is really helpful from a marketing perspective and so that our local fishermen aren't being, you know, cut out of the market."
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