Abstract

The illegal substitution of seafood is a global problem. Through a Bayesian meta-analysis, it has been estimated that 10% of seafood is mislabelled globally (Luque and Donlan 2019). In the same study, it was estimated that 30% of all grouper (Epinephelinae spp.) is mislabelled. Although there are few studies that specifically addressed grouper, at least 18 studies from across 4 continents have documented mislabelled grouper, and 36 different species from 18 families have been identified as substitutes for grouper (Calosso et al. 2020). However, two species of freshwater farmed fish account for over 50% of all substitutions: the Nile perch, Lates niloticus, and the Asian striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus.