Study finds greenwashing widespread on New Zealand seafood labels

Wellington, Sep 5 : Self-declared environmental claims on seafood labels such as "sustainably sourced," "responsibly fished" or "dolphin-safe" found in New Zealand supermarkets are vague, ambiguous and meaningless, a new study showed on Thursday.

Among the 369 packaged fish and seafood products the study examined, such as canned tuna, vacuum-packed salmon, or frozen fish, 41 per cent had environmental claims on their labels. Of those that did make claims, 80 per cent were ambiguous, Xinhua news agency reported.

"They are implying an environmental benefit, but are vague and therefore meaningless," said the study's lead author Kathryn Bradbury, senior research fellow at the University of Auckland.

Vague claims can be difficult to make sense of and can easily mislead consumers, Bradbury said, adding that the study indicated widespread greenwashing by fish and seafood manufacturers.

The researchers from the universities of Auckland and Otago, and AgroParisTech, France, found that 48 per cent of the products did not state the harvest location and almost all did not state the harvest method, such as pole and line caught, mid-water trawled or dredged.

Bradbury said it is important that what is on the label is accurate, specific, and clear, as New Zealand consumers prefer to get their information about seafood at the point of purchase.

The study calls for more proactive enforcement of existing regulations in New Zealand so that manufacturers are more environmentally responsible and consumers are not misled.

Bradbury said regulation around labelling of fish and seafood products also needs to be strengthened to encourage transparency around fishing practices.