Bait and Switch...Exactly what IS that fish you're eating

For a variety of reasons I very rarely order fish when dining out. One of the primary reasons, and a pet peeve of mine, is the mislabeling (intentional or otherwise) of exactly what is being served. Still I had no idea the practice was as common as outlined in this article.

http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/02/ ... dered?lite

..."One third of the 1,215 samples collected from grocery stores and restaurants by advocacy group Oceana were actually a different kind of fish than what the seller purported. The group found instances of fake fish across the country, and at all kinds of establishments. Nearly half of the 674 retailers Oceana visited sold mislabeled fish."...

Apparently Consumer Reports also did an article about this practice a couple of years ago and found 20% of 190 samples mislabeled.

Dude, my advice is you better just eat whatever you can get while there is any left! WTF happened to those days of the bountiful seas?

Dude, my advice is you better just eat whatever you can get while there is any left! WTF happened to those days of the bountiful seas?

Ya may have a point...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 33430.html

..."Commercial fishermen in New England face a sharp reduction in the amount of cod they are allowed to catch, a move that is designed to rebuild the stock of the once-abundant fish, but that fishermen say will hurt their livelihoods.

The New England Fishery Management Council, a regional policy-making arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, voted Wednesday to cut the allowable catch for certain cod stocks as much as 80% from the current level. "...

Dude, my advice is you better just eat whatever you can get while there is any left! WTF happened to those days of the bountiful seas?

Humans as a whole are a stupid species with the disturbing lack of ability to plan for the future. Due to this we have been unable to utilize most of the Earth's resources whether its water or fish in a sustainable manner.

There is a place in Panama City Beach, FL where I grew up as a kid called Shell Island. When I was child we could go there as a family (including cousins, grandparents, etc) and walking through the grass flats pick up enough scallops, blue crabs, rock crabs, and flounder to feed the whole family on the beach.

Years ago I went back and due to bottom net dragging fishing, the whole area is now a lifeless desolate underwater desert with no fish or crabs or any other species to be found. All destroyed due to commercial fishing.

Recently when a halibut fisherman was interviewed about the decreasing catches in Alaska, his response wasnt that he hopped that they could stabilize and sustain the species for generations to come. His response was "I gotta get out there and catch all I can, while I can, before its all gone!" No damn thought to the future.....
Like I said people are idiots.

You're right of course Doug. It's with a feeling of pure helplessness that I say - sure I'll have the talapia.