Is that fish really halibut?

fishy labeling practices

This was interesting
>[They] found that 87 percent of the sushi venues tested misrepresented the fish being served, the worst record of any type of restaurant.

Widespread Seafood Fraud Found in Los Angeles

Fraud was detected in 11 out of 18 different types of fish purchased.
Every single fish sold with the word “snapper” in the label (34 out of 34) was mislabeled, according to federal guidelines.
Nearly nine out of every ten sushi samples was mislabeled.
Eight out of nine sushi samples labeled as “white tuna” were actually escolar, a species that carries a health warning for it purgative effects.

If you want to eat sushi,go to Japan......its serious there.10 years in prison for sushi fraud ;-)

When it comes to fish and seafood, the best I've had were always from unsophisicated places, often without printed menu, just serving from the daily catch.

apparently only in America? so easy to trick if one doesn't know their say, flatfish species.

learn the species, eat whole fish.

learn the species, eat whole fish.

That's a little hard to do when you are eating the fish at a restaurant.

Most Americans do not have ready access to a fish market where whole fish are sold.

It's certainly not confined to the US. The great supermarket fish scam: Shoppers 'are being duped into buying mislabelled species'

A total of 400 fish dishes bought from Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and Lidl [in the UK] were DNA tested as part of a new study.
And the analysis of the tests revealed that 23 portions – six per cent - contained species of fish not even mentioned on the label.

Hake hoax in Spanish markets
>A scientific study commissioned by the International Center for Investigative Journalists found that almost one in 10 fish purchased at markets in Spain were mislabeled.

Ireland clamps down on mislabeled fish
>In the first comprehensive labeling study of fish products on sale in Ireland, the FSAI analysis found 20 samples (out of 111) sold with a cod label in fact contained a totally different, and cheaper, species. Indeed, in total 21 samples (19 percent) were found to be mislabeled, 17 of which contained pollock or smelt.

I think its very hard to tell which fish is in a 'fish product'....those frozen sticks,slabs of breaded fish,ready made fish pies etc. they sell in supermarkets.

Someone who knows their fish should be able to tell in sushi though....unless the two species are practically identical.

Yanquis love hysteria.

That's a little hard to do when you are eating the fish at a restaurant

Some of us have difficulty getting whole fish in the supermarket. I also like pre-cut fish - I don't have to deal with bones and I know what I'm getting.

I am lucky to have a pretty good seafood market on the way home. I usually buy whole fish. They will clean them any way you wish. Secondly when I do buy something other than whole fish a) most of the fish I buy are fairly distinguishable by look and b) I have been doing business with the place a long time and I trust them. I do agree that in a restaurant it is much harder to tell for sure what the fish is.

Actually, now that I think about it. My favorite place to get sushi (when I'm in Maryland) is a Korean restaurant in Ellicott City. No one there speaks enough English to tell you what fish you're eating anyway. In fact, I can't even tell you the name of the restaurant because it's written in Korean on the front. (needless to say I don't know any Korean, although at one time I did know how to say thank you in Korean I have since forgotten)

I did know how to say thank you in Korean I have since forgotten

It sounds something like "gamsahmnida".

Talking about Korean restaurants (those in Korea) - why can't we have fish tanks with live fish, outside and inside restaurants, like they do all over East and SEAsia? You get what you see.

Thanks Fieldgate! Although I doubt I'll need in NM.

why can't we have fish tanks with live fish, outside and inside restaurants

That's one of the reasons their sushi is so good. They do have a fish tank so you know their stuff is fresh.

Researchers knew something fishy was going on.