‘Confusing’ seafood labels make buying Canadian harder

A crate of lobsters is shown in Halifax on Friday, Oct. 16, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Andrew Vaughan

An environmental advocacy group says those looking to buy Canadian seafood are “being left in the dark by confusing labels.”

Many Canadians are changing their shopping habits to buy more local products in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a trade war with Canada.

SeaChoice, an advocacy group created to increase consumer awareness around seafood sustainability in Canada, says many seafood labels are missing information needed to help shoppers make informed decisions.

Current laws in Canada require imported seafood to be labelled according to where it was processed, not where it was caught or farmed.

This means products that are caught or processed in Canada are not required to be labelled as Canadian at all.

“For example, fish caught in Canada, processed in China and shipped back to Canada (which does happen) will appear on the shelf with a ‘Product of China’ label,” says Christina Callegari, senior coordinator of Marine Programs with the Ecology Action Centre – a founding member of SeaChoice.

“Or there could be several types of white fish or tuna at your local fresh counter, but there’s no required label to show which are caught by Canadian fishers, which are caught overseas or even what species they are. This makes it difficult for consumers to ensure they’re buying Canadian seafood in their grocery stores.”

The lack of information on labels could result in Canadian fishers and seafarmers losing out.

“People want to buy local and support domestic producers,” says Callegari. “But without clear labelling and transparency, consumers cannot be sure what they are really buying. It’s incredibly frustrating to see.”

SeaChoice says proper labelling must also include the species name (both common and scientific) to prevent misrepresentation, as well as the fishing and farming method to ensure transparency about impacts on the ocean ecosystem.

“It’s essential that labelling information follows seafood through each step of the value chain,” says Callegari. “With stronger labelling and traceability, Canadians can confidently choose local, sustainable and ethically sourced seafood, ensuring their money supports domestic producers, workers and the health of our oceans.”

Trump tariffs

Last week, President Trump’s 25 per cent across-the-board tariffs, with a lower 10 per cent levy on Canadian energy and potash, briefly went into effect before the president signed an executive order last Thursday partly delaying them.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said those tariffs will be revisited next month.

On Tuesday, President Trump’s 25 per cent tariffs on steel and aluminum imports came into effect.

The next day, Canada struck back with nearly $30 billion in counter tariffs against U.S. goods, including products such as orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, apparel, footwear, motorcycles, cosmetics, and certain pulp and paper products.

Canada’s counter tariffs came into effect just after midnight on Thursday.

Despite Trump’s month-long pause on universal tariffs, government officials have signalled that Canada won’t lift its retaliatory tariffs until the U.S. president completely backs down from his trade war.