Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the SFF, said: “Consumers expect to get what they ask and pay for, and the inexcusable practice of substituting of some types of fish for others, which would seem to be happening in some instances much further down the supply chain, is something all fishermen are extremely concerned about.
“We believe that every consumer should be asking for Scottish fish when making their seafood purchases as it is locally caught with low ‘food miles’, and is also fresh and sustainable. Scottish haddock, for example, displays the prestigious flagship Marine Stewardship Council certification as being sustainably caught by fishermen using specially adapted nets that minimise by-catch and who observe real-time fishing area closures to protect stocks.
“Scottish seafood is a superb and sustainable food resource with a short supply chain, and which is also healthy to eat. For all these reasons, we should therefore be consuming more of it. It is vitally important that consumers are not put off eating fish because of mislabelling in some instances and there needs to be proper enforcement by the appropriate authorities so as to bring to an end such regrettable practices.”
